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Show · M-'Jier Johu Cottons .ARfwer ------2-.-'fhatlfi/mtly Cll"f:Jfr,that th~frame and c•nJlitution of ozl'Chur-. cbet it i~tlpltcilly N Jttonall. El{i if the Common-wealth, and Ch~rcb were not Dne. how could be that if banijhed from the me, be neceDariq bJnip>ed fr•;, the other A!fo l Reply. It was farre from my meaning, and V:'ords,when I fp,ake of his banifhing of himfelfe from the F ellawfhtp of all the Char-. ch•s in rhe Cuuntrey, to intend his civill banifhment. I knew his civil\ batoifhmcnt was not meerly his own ACt. I knew alfo that he might have been banifhed from the Common· wealth,and yet have, retained (as fame others have done) F ellow!bip with fome Churches if not with all the Churches in the Countrey. And therefore both his obfcrvations are but empty flourifhes,and vanifh like Bubbles. It is the wiline!Te of the Spirit of the Serpent, to hide his head under fig-leaved evafions. But fuppofe I had meaflt by his banifhmentofhimfclfe,his civill banifhment, and had meant, that by expofing ~imlelfe defervedly to that cenfure, he had deprived himfelfe of enJoying all the fpiri· mall liberties of the Churches in the Countrey:might I not fohavc fajd, and yet nos have fp0ken the langua~e of the J?&a~on ? What if the Dragon uf~ fuch language to the Samts-fuffermg mnocemlyl may notthe Spirit of God ufe the fame words to a guilty pcrfon fuffering defervedly ? The language of the Dragon lyeth notal· wayes in the words or meaning, but in the application, and intent of them. The Dragon faid to Chrift, I k{low who thou art, the boiJ One of God,Mar .1. 24. Pm~ might fay the fame, or the like wordt, M4t.I6. 16. And yetin his month,itwatnot the language of the Dra!lon, but of the Holy Ghoft. Neither will it imply, That theChurch,andCommon-wealtb, areallone,beca~bethatdefervedly is baoifhcd fromtbeCorn· moo· wealth, hani(b:th himfelfe alfo from the communion of the· Cburchu ; For the fame finnes which may be offenfive civilly to tbe Common· wealth, may be alfo fpiritually offenfive to tm Church, and both proceed to cenfure the fame perfon in their own way, !evcrally. To to To CHAr. IV. IN ?is fourth Chapter the Ex~mine;-an(wererh to a fpeech of inllle > Wherem to vrevent hts prc)uJice againft my perfon (which rllight weaken the fruit of my counlell whim) I told him' I had not hajled forward the [enw~ee of hit Civill BJnijhment : and tha; r.lhat "'at d•tte by th< M'gij!rater in tbat kj_nde , waJ neith<r dam b) my Counfell, nor co,.Jent. Whereto he anfwercth, fidr, That he obfervetb, I cannot but confoffe, that it;; hatd jdi' any man ra d.e good, orro JPeak! effi8u•liJ tD tht Joule, or Confcience of :my, whoft body he .jjliEleth, and perjwmtb an!J fhat one!J for their Jouk andCorifcieuce fakt· ' . ~eply. All 1:ha~ can trudy be ubtervtd from my words is, That tE 1~ hatd .for any .~o t~kc good fr~ chafe, •&•infl whom they havh:~mcetved a pre)udtce, whether Julily, or unJuftlq. But when ht fubjo)'heth a Serpentine, that is, a fubtile, and venomous infinultion, '1H ifl h.td _afJltEi<d, and perfocuted bi< bod], and that onely for liH foHie, and Ciinfimnce fa~. Anfw. I. have been. fo farre from afHitHng,or perfecating hio body,_( erpeclally for hiS foole,or confcience fake) that in very t ruth ~~~~Ill ~'ild any ho~ of p:evailing for him, f may fay, as David (u~ tor _himfelfe,_ agamft a hke flander,Pfal. 7· 3, + I have fongbt to ckltvtl' bttn who Wi-thout caHfo reproachetb me. Let nbt M'. WiUialnl pleafe himfelfe (as he doth' in this Paragraph) in comtJaring the de'.llihg of the Elders with him here to the Perfmni~nsof che Bifhops againft the godly Preachers in England. If the B1fhops had dea~t no worfe with the godly Preachers there, and upon no more lln)ufl caufes, then the Elders dealt with hl!lrhere,they might with gbod confcience,antJ good countenance tiate·looked Wiih comfdrt, and CCinfidence, both God, and man in the fac:, -even n~~ when God hath laid their carnall pompe, and W~lldly hohoiir m the du!l. Neit!bcr let him pleafe himfelfe ( as he doth in the next Paragl: a\Jh) in his tmddubted A!fettion ; 'fbat wb'Jt M'. Corron, and olberJ1lid in 'f'rocuring bjr forrowa, waJ ndt with9ttl fomP regret, and rer.tidlicyof Gcmfcience, andajfiElion, ("'David in ptacuring Ul'iah't death;or Afa in irllpriforlirlg the Ptophet.) E e 2 For |