TO THE IMPARTIAL READER.[229]
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Williams, Roger and Underhill, Edward Bean
This Letter I acknowledge to have received from Mr. Cotton, whom for his personal excellencies I truly honour and love: yet at such a time of my distressed wanderings amongst the barbarians, that being destitute of food, of clothes, of time, I reserved it, though hardly, amidst so many barbarous distractions, and afterward prepared an answer to be returned.
Mr. Cotton’s reluctancy in himself concerning the way of persecution.
In the interim, some friends being much grieved, that one, publicly acknowledged to be godly, and dearly beloved, should yet be so exposed to the mercy of a howling wilderness in frost and snow, &c.: Mr. Cotton, to take off the edge of censure from himself, professed both in speech and writing, that he was no procurer of my sorrows.
Some letters then passed between us, in which I proved and expressed, that if I had perished in that sorrowful winter’s flight, only the blood of Jesus Christ could have washed him from the guilt of mine.
An unmerciful speech from a merciful man.
His final answer was, “Had you perished, your blood had been on your own head; it was your sin to procure it, and your sorrow to suffer it.”
Here I confess I stopped, and ever since suppressed mine answer; waiting, if it might please the Father of mercies, more to mollify and soften, and render more humane and merciful, the ear and heart of that otherwise excellent and worthy man.
God’s wisdom in the season of publishing this letter.
It cannot now be justly offensive, that finding this letter public (by whose procurement I know not) I also present to the same public view, my formerly intended answer.
Times of inquiry after Christ.
I rejoice in the goodness and wisdom of him who is the Father of lights and mercies, in ordering the season both of mine own present opportunity of answer: as also and especially of such protestations and resolutions of so many fearing God, to seek what worship and worshippers are acceptable to him in Jesus Christ.
A golden speech of a parliament man.
Mine own ears were glad and late witnesses of a heavenly speech of one of the most eminent of that high assembly of parliament; viz., “Why should the labours of any be suppressed, if sober, though never so different? We now profess to seek God, we desire to see light,” &c.
Times when seeking of God comes too late.
I know there is a time when God will not be found, though men seek him early, Prov. i. [28.]
There is a time when prayer and fasting come too late, Jer. xiv. [10.]
There is a seeking of the God of Israel with a stumbling-block, according to which God giveth his Israel an answer, Ezek. xiv. [4.]
Lastly, there is a proud refusal of the mind of God returned in answer by the prophet, Jer. xlii. [13.]
Wholehearted seekers the only seekers of Christ Jesus.
Love bids me hope for better things. God’s promise assures us, that his people returning from captivity, shall seek him, and pray, and find him, when they seek him with their whole heart, Jer. xxix. [13.] And God’s angel comforts those against all fears that seek Jesus that was crucified, Mark xvi. [6].
Christ Jesus, whom he saveth he teacheth.
Thy soul so prosper, whoever thou art, worthy reader, as with thy whole heart thou seekest that true Lord Jesus, who is holiness itself, and requires a spiritual and holy bride like to himself, the pure and spotless lamb. He alone, as he is able to save thee to the utmost from thy sins and sorrows by his blood, so hath he brought his Father’s counsel from his bosom, and every soul is bound, on pain of eternal pains, to attend alone [to] his laws and ordinances, commands and statutes, Heb. vii., Acts iii. [23].
The true Lord Jesus studied humility and self-denial.
That Lord Jesus, who purposely chose to descend of mean and inferior parents, a carpenter, &c.:—
Who disdained not to enter this world in a stable, amongst beasts, as unworthy the society of men: who passed through this world with the esteem of a madman, a deceiver, a conjuror, a traitor against Cæsar, and destitute of an house wherein to rest his head: who made choice of his first and greatest ambassadors out of fishermen, tent-makers, &c.: and at last chose to depart on the stage of a painful, shameful gibbet:—
Seekers of Christ are sure of a gracious answer, 2 Thess. v.
If Him thou seekest in these searching times, makest him alone thy white [robe] and soul’s beloved, willing to follow, and be like him in doing [and] in suffering; although thou findest him not in the restoration of his ordinances, according to his first pattern:—
Yet shalt thou see him, reign with him, eternally admire him, and enjoy him, when he shortly comes in flaming fire to burn up millions of ignorant and disobedient.
Your most unworthy country-man,
ROGER WILLIAMS.