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Show Mafler John Cottons A»[wer - .----•-•~<-;lUnt, ho;w.caple, we to ,dwell here, as we doe this·day? ~ Neither yet doe I make God the .Author of JU<b.eruell mercy, in thetll that "'ere th• ca11ji1 of our oafting out, 4! beca/..,Uateth. . For tre lnfirumeots ofany unjufi dealing,with the fervants of God may be c~uell : when ye.t the hand of God in-ordering fuch.a work~ may..be moll )JlercifuH. The hand of God waa'moft merci· fl!ll to joJtph;in calling him out of his Fathen houfe into JEgypt whe0.ye~the hand: of his b~ethren was defiled with bloud_-guilti; c~uelty. When th~ J;:xaminer ronclf!deth, that if I had been <xpofedtuthe miferiet, povertiu,,e,~effiiiu,wanl1, debtJ, hardfhip~ of Se;~ and Land, i11, a ba.ni~d Cvnditum, be prefometh I wouiJ reach forth a more mm;.. JU.ll CerJi;llto the ajjlilied; and-therefore wo~th at himfelfi afjlilieJ,. !14,a L11mpe deffiifidin the eye~ of him that i<at eaft, Job 12. S• I ~dire f,~e Lord might he pleaf~d to· opel_! ~is , eyes ·by _fuch af·· f!l-~!OJ!S,Wife!y toc_qrfide~whe!~er he ~ptot out of.his way,wben. lie meeteth wtth fuch miferies, poverties, debu, hard!hips ? Surely when God hedgeth in the way of his people with thornes, he cal· ll:th them to returne to their firft husband, for then i~ was better tyith them, then now, Ho£. 2. 6. His bani!hme.nt wasdoubde!feno caqf~ of fuc)J af!liCI:jons : DiYers others have been caft out of tbe 0!)un,trey, ~~ welfJ~he, and y!'t God hath generally refcued theat. from affiu'lion,& profpered their e!lates before his eyes. But when he choofetb rather to betake himfelfe to mcrchandife by 'Land and, SCa,( unto which. he was never brought up) then.to ferve the Lord, and his People in difpenfing fp:ritua!Hood to th~m in a Church· w~y,~o marvell if the Lo~d doe not !hine u~n his way, but expqfe hun-.to d.ebu, neceff~ues, poverties, miferies, hard !hips by Sea.· and L.and. It IS farre off trom me to defpife his affiiCI:ed condition: bQt the tftie!l mercifull ~ordiJII to his affliCI:ed ellate; would be to perf wade him that.he is out of hiS' way, .and.!\ill blelfeth himfelfe ( tfQ~gh God, both cro£fe his e!late, and. blafl his.fpirit) in fuch a way. . As for my being at eafc, (as he calleth it) had·he beeiJa little longer acquainted with·the faith full difcharge of a Minil\ers of·, fiee, he wo~l~ ~ot judge it fuch a ftare ,ofeafe.)fl.d11r!l allow my felfe to fee!ic, and take mine eafe, I Oiould Cooner choofe a private fo~tary c~ndi~(m,in hls Wilderne£fe, ·then all the throng of em· IJioy_meutm tim numerous fQciety~ To. ro Mafter Roger Williams. To C H A r. VI I I. IN his 8th Chapter M'.Williams rehearfeth,and examinetli ·th.ofe· . words of t~y Lctt~r, wherein to helpe him to a ferious light of hts Iinne, I f~td that ttpleajed the Lord ?efm to fighi againft hi, corrupt wayet wttb tbe [word of hif mouth, in the mo~ttht and uftimonier oft be Churc~et,andBrethren. Againjl whom, wbm M•. Williams a• ver-hea~ed hrmfelfe in reafoning, a_nd diJPutirzg againft the light of his. 1'futb;tt pleafod t_he Lord to Jlnp h~< mouth, by~ fodainc difoa{i, and to threaten to ta~ h~< bre~thfro':' him. But be in flead ofrecoylillg("' evm· Balaam offered to doe tn the It~ cafe) cbofo rather .to per fiJI m bif "''!!' and to protefl agJtiRjl alltbe Churcbu, and Bretbren'that flood· in bt' II''!J'>Crc• . In ~~efe lines? the Exami~er t~lle~~ us_, an humble, a~td difcerrz· zng Spmt m~y eJPte:firjl,a glortoU< ;uJiiftcatzoll,alld bMjlinn of myfe/fe . and oth'erJ concurring with me: ficond/.y, an unrighteoll4-, anduncharita~ bk Cw{ure of tbe ajjlilied. R.ply. Whether is it a nt?re gl:Oriou~ ~·oafling, to challenge to a mans felfe,an humble,and diftermngSpmt, (as the Ex~miner doth here, and elfewhere in this Treatife) or tO afcribe the gfory to ' Ohrifl iri fi~hting with the fword of his mouth, in the reflimonies and labours of the Churches, and Brethren ag1in!\ his corrupt. wayes ? Surely when our glorying is not in onr (elves , but in the Lord · .Jefu•, we.are allowed fo to doe by the HulyGholl,Ifi.4S· 25. Itt , the LordfhJll all the feed of If.el be juflified, aHd jhall glory. ' Object BHt i1 it not ~ gloriou< bo•Jling of ow filvet, when"' wee m1~the [word in ourmoutht, and tejlim1niet, I& be tbefword of the ~'lllthofCbrijl; when~ the h;dy f!cript...-e putteth the["""" of Chrifl ' '"t~e m?utbt_ nffucb w•;.mffit ,., hzmjelfe, •nd fome other I, wbo in meek,; . mf!i, and pmenc<,teflpe the truth ofJrfm a_~Jinjl Antichrift, am/ a• gJtnj! ~It falfe Calling,I of Mil•i.Jim l And wbether ;, M'. Cotton•' . ft>.'mmtng with tbe flreame nfou;wal'd mdit, ad profit, a11d{mirirJg t>~th the fiJI, andfword ofPerfeclllion: ar himjilfi, and f'cl! otbtnhe· t>ttneffit ofChriJI, mojl lik_e unto BalqJm l , , Rep~. r. ·The quickndfe of the Ex1miner! wit over-runneth hi~ JUdgement; for l'did not compare him to Bala•m as like,much leffe l•"' |