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Show Majler John Cottons Anfwer not dire& me where my Letter might find him. But I doe_nm f~(~ ea M'. Starefmore, nor M'.WiUianu him~el.fe to have publ~fhed It' Euc rather forneothcr ( unadvifed) Chn(han, who ( havmg got- . fthe Letter cooke more libertie, then God alloweth, tceon daracwop f1oerot h a private 'A dmoniticm to publi.c k noti·C e ·m a d"C. I or-derly way. . . f h" L M' But howfoever it was, upon the pubhfhmg o t IS etter, • Williams hath taken occalion (as is obferved by ~orne who ~re ac- . quainted with the Spirit of the rna!') firll to rtfc. up agamll m: . (the meanell of many) in the exammmg and refutmg of that Let cer: And then (as if one M>rdecai were coo fm~ll a morfell ) to ftand forth againll ~11 the Churches, and Elders m New-England, in his Bloudy 'Tenent : And then (as if New-Engl~nd were but an hand full) from thence to rife up againll the chmfell Ornaments of two populous Nations, England and Scotland, the reverend AffemblyofDivines, together with the reverend Brethren ~fthe ~pology: and abOve them all to addrelfe himfelfe ( accordmg to h11 high thoughts) to propound Q!reries ofhlgh concernmen~ (as he calleth them) to the High and Honourable Court ofParhament. So a Bird of prey alfeaing to foare aloft, gettetb firll upon the top of a molehili, and from thenc.e taketh his ri!"e from Pale to Tree, till he have furmounted the htghell Mountames. In this apprehen~on of him they ~r~ t~e m_ore confirmed,~s ha: ving difcerned the hke frame of Sp1r1t. ~~ hts former walkmg a mongll us. Time wu, when of all Chrtlltan Churches,t~e Churches of New- England were accounted, and profelfcd by htm, to be the moll pure: and of all the Churches in New· England ' Salem (where himfelfc was Teacher) to be the moll pure. But w~en the Churches of N ...... England cooke jull ofi:nce at fundry of hts pro( ecdings he firll renounced communion with them all : and W caufe th~ Church of Salem refufcd to joyne with him in foch 1 · · h S(l}ern groundle!fe Ccnfure, he then renounced com~unton Wit 11 alfo. And then fell olf from his Miniltery, and then fro~. a_ Church-fellowfhip, and then from his Baptifme, (and. was ~Ill'\ felfe baptized againe) and thenfrilm the Lords Supper, •Ul, ~~ all Ordinances of Chrift difpenfed in any Church-way, t fha!l ftirrc up himfelfe, or fome &heF new Apoftl~ to recf~h; and rellore all the Ordinances, and Churches of Chrift out 0 llul mines of Antichriftian Apollafic.·· to M '"fier Roger Williams. But for ~ineown part,whatloever thoughts,others( who feeme to. know h1m well)havc conceived of his Spirit,and courfe in thefe thmgs: yet I choole rather to leave altJudgement of him, to Him, W~o feeth, and fearcheth the heart, and reinrs, and will one da brtng every fecret thing, yea the very thoughts, and intents of th! fonnes of men, unto righteous Judgement. - · h Neverth~le~, fiheeing the Tre~ is knowne by his fruits, I doe rat er appre en , t ~t. he k_nowmg the Spirit breatheth where he ple~feth, and concctvmg htmfelfe to have r<ceived a clearer illumination and apprchenfion of the ellate of Chrills Kingdome and of the ~urity of h?IY Co~munion, then all Chrillendome ( y~a even Chnft~ndome 1~ fdfe IS an unfavoury word to him) he rherefore ~~~eth It to be hts ducy ,co give publique advenifement, and admomuon w a~l men, whether ofmeanernote,(fuch as my felfe) or of mo.re p~bhque note, and place, of the corruptions of Religion whtch htmftlfe obferveth in their judgement,and praaice.Neithe: would I deny, but that (to ufe his own words) God fometimu pirrttb_ Hp one Elijah againjl eight hHndrtd of Baals Prirjl1, one Micajab •g•mfl foure hu~drtd ~f AhabJ P"!}'hets; one Athanajiw againjl ma"} h•ndretbs of Arrtan Bifhops; one J olm Hm againjl the whole Counce /I •fConjlance; Luther and the two witnejfeJ againjlmany thoufand1,&c. And therefo~e I durll no~ negle8:,much le!fe defpife any advertife~ ntfrom hun alone agamll Co many; provided that the word of the Lord be found in his mouth, or pen. I come therefore to con· ·fid_er, a~d weigh what he faith to my felfe, without prejudice a• gamft ~1m, ~nd (I hope) without partiality to my felfe. In h1s Eptllle roche Reader,before his Anfwer to my Letter he :uottefrl y mifconllrueth the ground and fcope,whether oft his Let;er ~ny other Letters of mine to him, As if I wtote •pan occajion of ( gr~efo, which fome friend! conceived, 'That fuch an one ar himfolfo fiptlzck!J ac"'-.nowledged ".be god!J,and deare!J beloved) .fhould be expo' b tothemercyofan bowlmgWtlderneffe, inftoll andfinow &c. And fIi l{•< lm, •t.n tenl.t nwrt.t z. ngwas,to ta~~' off the ed~g· e ofCenfu' refrom my fl e,byprofeffing in fPeecb, and writing, 'That I was no procurer ofhil :~~,&c. In which few lines, foure things prefent themfelves, ~tlfthey be cleared, may cleare both his miftake ofhimfelfe, an 'w1 caufe, and together therewith the innocency of others. 1• hen he fpeakech of himfelfe as one publickly acknowled- A a 2 ged, 3 |
