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Show -------Ma-fte~r J~ohn~ C~ott-ons- A~nfwe-r ---~ wiJich I m•intair~ed, that a ptrfvn ought tube <Ht•Jf; or a Cburqh f'P• ""d from. I kuow not how this joogtment of his may fath fie his nrigh-bou• s; but a gocd Conkience willing rowalke by rulr,wwld llill inquire,( where it WJI meete) Firll, whether every obiHnaqy,cven before conviaion, and that in a finne ldfe haicdus, •be fucb ap ulcer, or Gahgrene, for wbich either a perfon ought to b.e cUt ulf, or a Church feparated from? For there is' an obfiinacy againfiagood ' way, as there is a' fcorning of a good way, which is befor~ con vi, C\ion, even ofignorance: and w thefe Wifdome commuoiemcb good·.Counfi!ll, Prov. 1. 20. 22. But thereiu fcorning, andfoan obfiinac'y;after convillion, and to fuch, Wifdome refuleth til communicate any wholefome words, Prov. 9· 8, 9· If he meane the former, why did he refofe communion with us 'upon futh an ob!linacy of ignorance? By what rule did he pNr ceedt~ ... · . ,, lthf' meane the latter ,let him P«tduce his caufe,and bl'ing forth all his firong rea!ons, whereby he did !b much as offer to convince m of our obflinacy in any crime,and we will acknowledge his fepara'tion to be jufi, and our Iinne to be great in not hearkening tohim. · , If he tell us againe,( as he doth in the next words,as indeed tbc mouth is moll full of the aboundance of the heart ) if he tell us a!( aine of our guiltinelfe of cruelty, both againfi con'fciehces and bodies, in perfecuting of them, wee moll tleeds'tell him' aj!aint, that neither himfelfe, nor any others, ( th;n I Coin heare off) did ever fulfer any Cenfure, (which he calleth cruelty to confcier\ccs and bodies) till after his fepatatio'n from all the Chur" hes in the Countrey. And though he faith in the next words, He fop.srated Confcicnti~ujly and peaceabfJ : Yet did tver peaceable Confcience ( bef Jre hrm )feparatc from Churches for an offence 'before it was .. committed? c ' r If he rcll us, he fep1rated, 1for GUr commuAion with 'the Chur. <:hes ,,fEngl.md, in heJri~ tbe word in the P>Jrifh,s there, le.tJII . r htt fe:re_ Go~ ( whofe beam are nor forefta"!Icd with prejudire or pan ral 1ty )1uHge wlietlr~r 'llis reafons a1lerl~eJ w convinae us .o!'fiJch a lmne, ( ~. llrtm~efl whereof were anfwe<cd in wy Lecur ._, lo him, ~\\d have'bci£1 againe'refutell in this-fi.~1~Y Jtr~ve been vi {uch lo A1-fterRoge:r~·~VVV;il~li:am::s.---------------- ll3 .(qch convincing power, a1 that wee for not heark.cning to him mull needs lie under the g~ilt. of an ulcer, or Gangrene of oblli- !llacy, and.that after convlctton. 1 play therefore well call it not Chiru~gery but Butch•ry, to cut off not onely fo many me.,', ben ,o~Cur.J!l,. bu.t ralfo IP .many Churches of Chrill from fellowlhip !With .Chnll,before any ulcer or .Gangi;Cne of obflinacy waA dit~ ,co.crcd to us; Nay, I feare I mjght fpeake a further word (and ')'ttl wnuld be loath ~o fpeake any doubtfuli thing;) but' furely .(•my.memory much faderh me or elfe) he broke forth into this!e, paration,·before he gave m any grounds of his feparation at all or of,our con;vi/Xion of any fuch Iinne, as might deferve fuch ; Ge~fure: And whether that .be Butchery or Chirurgery, let the upnght judge. BHt, faith ~e, if it he Butche'1 to fiparate confcimtiOHjly and peacea4ly from t hejpiritt<al/ communion of a Chwch, or SaintJ, wbat {hall it he caOed by the Lord Jefur, to Ct4t ojfperfom, them, and their~, branch o~~rzdroote, fr.om lm; CiviO being in their 'lerritoriu, &c. Bccaufe tbei: eonfoienceJ dare not bow down< to any worfhip' but what the Lord 1efur hath appointed, and being alfo otherwifo fubjea to the Civillejlatt, 4nd 4-Ri<~<~her_eof 1 ,,.ffire be m~ny extenuations, and .minciqgs of his own,co•rriage, and.aA QJan.y .falli:.aggravations of Guilt upon his fentence of Banifhment, and the Authors ofit. ·, As, r . In that·he .was cut off,he,and hiA,branch and roote,from any ~iviii .being in thefe Territories, becauli: 1heir Confciences slur!Prrot bow downe to any worlhip, but what they·beleeve the Lord had appointed: Whereas the truth is, his Banifhmenc proceeded not againll him,or hi~, for his own refufall of ony worlhip, but for Ceditious oppofition againll the Patent, and againfi the Oaoh of fideli oie offered tu the people. 2. That.he was fubject to the Civil! ellate, and Lawes thereof, when yet he vehemently oppofed the Civi.ll found .. rion of the Ci~ ill el1ate, which was the Pdtent: And earnellly a!fo oppo!cd the Law of the generall Court, by which the tender of t~at Olth was enjoyned: and al fo wrote:Leucr5 9f Admonitiou to •II the Churches, whereof the MJf(iftraccs were membcrf, for deti:r.i11g to gi ve prcfent Anfwer to a Retition of Salem, who:bad rcfu!ed.to hcaf){en til a hiwtull motion of their~. Pp 3· That |