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Show Mafter John Cottons Anfrter To CHAP. v. I c. 1 n e been fo large-in anfwering the former fo:ire Chapters ;; this.Ex•mination.of my Leuer,that it I fhould proceed in the .J,ke Curt in a particular fearch of the ot~er twenty· foure Chapters which remaine, I flJould take up morettm1: then w~ro meet about ·the perfonall concernments of him, er my felfe. ~hoare wee, that . we f110uld publickly invite the ferv.n~s of Chnft (who are erR• . played in more weighty affaire& of thetr Lord and ours) to attend unto perfonall Tranfatlions between hi.m, an~ m~! Where ~ny thing {hall occurre tending to more pubhck cdJfic•tton, I fh~llm· tift with more attention thereupon, and paffe over other hghter ·Difcourfes, with a lighter touch. Yet who fo can ~pare !"o much time, and leifure, as to compare each C~apter of h1s ~ wuh each 'Chapter of-this Difcourfe, he!ba!l Iinde (tfl b~ not mtllaken)no pa!Tage of weight palfed over Without returnmg due ~nfwer to each 1.articular. That Text in Pr~v. II. 26· (He tbat rrmbho~etb the Corne, (which is the llaffe of hfe) from the people, the mulmHik fba/1 cHrfe him:) I alledged to prw that thepeople.h~dmuchmorecauft to feparate foch from amongfl th<m, (whether by C.•v•ll,or Church· C.~· fi<re, 111 d9e withhold, or feparate them from the Ordtnanc.es, or the Ord•· na1lcel from them, which are (in Chrift) th.e brea1 of l!fe: Let no~ the Reader be fo farrc mif-led by the Exammer bts ~tf·m!orm~tto~, as tothlnke, that this Scripture was produced agamft htm,to JU~I· 'fie either a falfe Miniftery, or an unfit people to choofe an~ ~nJOY a true Miniftery. The Miniftery, and people, are the Mm1fiery and people of this Counuey : of which , the people he acknow· ·ledgetb to be Saints: and. the Minifters of.tbe ~hurcbes ( c?ofen by them) not to be dcftitute of fuch qu~hficauons, as Chnfi rc' qUireth, fave onely tho~t we doe not forbid the people when they goe over into Engl~nd, to heare the word of G~d preached by godly Minif\ers in !be Parifh Churches.Now for tbts caufe,becaufe we J oe not fcparate thefe Engli{h- hearers from us , be fe~arared himfelfe and withdrew others from hearing the word m olr Churche~ with us : which 1 accounte:i as great, and'" unfuff:rab e ,an injury to the foules of Gods people, a> it would be to thmbo~ dies ,0 withhold the Corne from them, or them from the CoThe ' .a11d for that end I produced this Scripture. at to Mafter Roger Williams. ~~~~~~~~--~~~~--~--4' That I produced this Scripture alone•to juftifie the Sentencd of the C<lUrt, it w~s not for want of others, (If that had been the Q!!dlion;) but becaufe the fcope of my 'Letter was, not to con· iirme the equitie of his Banifhment,bm to convince the iniquitie of his Separation. The·inention of tbecaufe ofhis-civill Banifhment ftll·in onely upon the by ,'to remove an objeetion-otlt of-the way~ tbat becJufe I denied the a a: of the Court to be done by my coun• ti:ll,or confent, therefore it mightfeerne I difallowed the fentence • To prevent that mitlake 1 acknowledged the righteoufneffe of the Sentence• and for that end produced that Scripture, as that whic& might give both fame juft reafon before God of his Civill Bani!bment: and alfo make way forthedifcovery of his Iinne of groundleffe Separation. Let no man ·be fo farre miftaken, as to thinke that his Separation from tbe Churches, was either the chiefe dif~ ference between the Court atJ(!'him,( though it w\u the-cbiefe Detween him and me iri my' Letter;) or that it was the chiefefl offence for which he fuffi:red, thongh he fo pretended. Wh4t (hough ~either: corporal! nor JPirituall food may lawful!; be fo/il o~'b.ught, but W%th tb. good ..,,//, and c(llfftnt, and autboritie ~f the orimer? &c. . Let him make it' appeare, that Chrift hath not committed the Minittery of the Gofpel to us; and wee fllall give place to others whom Cbrill fhall fend : Meane while, if the budding, and bloffoming, and fruit·'bearing of Aarons rod was a witnelfe from Hea• ven;that the Lord approved his Mini fiery againft all the murmur· ings of the Children of Ifraei,Nurn.t7·5·to 8. We mull: leave him, and others w their murmurinj!S again !I us, and quie~ our confci· eel in an humble bleflin~ of the Lord for his gracious bleffing upon our weake labours in -that holy Miniftery wee have received from him . . What tho:tgh the Apofiks were to turne away, and to f/7ak!, off the d.ft •ftbeir feete, agai11J! {cnrners, cnntradif1ors,defPiforJ,po:rJecutors? It was not till they had finned againll the Holy Gholl, and fcorned, and perfecuted the convincing light of the Gofpel, Afts 13· 4'i·lf• )1· Otherwife the Jewes were fcornel'!, and perfecutors of Chrift himfclfe, and of all that confelfed his Name, Job. 9· 22. yet llill the Apofrles ceaf:d not to Preach to them, and pray with them, F f Afh |
