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Show Jl-fa(ler John Cottons An(wer as mull hke; but as u r~hke. F.,r Lh.il wluch s,t, .. rn W0 Uod h•ve done, [[aid, he would not doe. · . 2 • Let the light of the holy word of GoJ difcover, and judge, •. whether the !'word oft he mouth ofthe Lord Jeius bd vunJ in his momh and his fell owes, or in the mourh3 ot the Chwches, arl\1 Bi'cch r~n here: •nd Itt the oryall be uporl' ([rts w~y Point,whothec wimeifetll for Chrift, or for 1\ntichr.fll ?r ' ' 1 • We wicn, ff< that CHrH\ w•!t'never fo•iiwie oveethrowrte,and· overcome by 1\ntich. ifl, buothot Hill r he l1ord Je!u~ h.uh_preferved a Congregati:mall Church, one'or more, e•pec1ally hncerho. . R.ef,· ri}ntion of R.eligibn,by·the M\nifier y ol. L·«lw-> a11J Calvin,• . and ocher MiniOers ofChri[\ il> the dit vo~of ou~ F • tl er•. • The Examiner wimeffetb, th.lt fince the Apol\a!icot Antichrlll, Antic.hrift hath fo forre pr<vaild .<gain(\ Chrift, an•l hi~ King• dome. that he hath no Church, nor Chmch-Officersleft upon the 'face a"f-che earth to thi!·day. 2. Wee wirnelfe the go<'ly perfons·, vifibh: S•ints, aonfeffihg their knowne finnes; and profelfwg rheir faith, are fit materi•lla for Church·fdlov.01ip. The Examiner wirnelfeth, that the Churches (which conGfl of fuch vifihle Saints) are nulli1i<1, unlelfi, thoy diiccrne every fpot; and 'poliuticn of Antichril1, >nd furtake it: Qfor fn(hnce) unlelfe they fee the Antichri fl ian pdlmion ot the Mini!lery in Englaud, .and doc refufc to heare the word from it. 3· We witmffe, that Perfons qnalified with a convenient mel• fure of.ljJilitu .IJ gitcF, fit to lead Gods people ; and cholen, and elected by a Congregation of vifible '>aims, and ord•ined, and fee a part nnw the W(JTke of the Mill!Hery,have ftCciveJ a lawfull cJl· ling from Chrift to that offi~e . The Ex1miner witnefforh ay,ainfl this as a falfe Calling, upon wh•t pretence hiolldfe better knc,wes then T. 4· We w;toelfe,th.lt it is lawfu!l fnr ·the King of EnglJnd, co give, a PAtent to a ce1 t.tin number of his Subjel:t•, ro tranfp!ant them· felves o,ut of En,;l•nd into Ameri:•,• nd·to po!feffe fuch Lands., the· Providct.Cc ot God layeth open befo re them, between fud 1, and fu~; Dcgre<'S of the !1or~zon. Ptovicled,th•l'ti;S Subje&saJvontu~e not upon fuch aCts a! the Patent nh...- imendtd,.{S to murther tHe Nativd, or t0 diipoiMli! ch~m by violence orfrAuJ ofltheir!Jw.fJII' ' Pof· to MJfter Roger Williams. Po~effion~ '.but either to plane themfelves in a v.-mum Damicilium· or 1f they fit do he C. m £ who e upbo n the Polfeffion of th e N . . . ' t auves ., to reee1ve t a e rom l em Y a reafonable Plll chafe or free Affig • m~ ' ~ ~he Examiner wknelfeth a~ainfl all fuch Patent~, and Preach-Eetnh If't{h t ob be bu nlawfull tor M. 1. o" i!lrates to execttte Ju"n1· ce upon t h e g 1 y t em, and that It 1~ necdf.ry to repent of receLving fuch Pa_tems, and to r~turne them back againe into the hands of chofePrmces,_ or ~f thetr Succ~rr:ors, from whom they received them • . • 5. We wttneife, that tt 18 lawful! _for Magiflrates ( efpecially in time of danger) to offer to the Sub)t& under them an 0 t1 f Fide;icv,,w.hether. they be :egenerate,or unregenerate. • 1 0 M . W,U,.ltm wtt~elli!~~ tt to be ~tcerly unlawfull to to doe: an · Oath for cunfirmatwn ot Offict b01ng peculiar to Cluifl: and Oaih being a·wodh;p of·God not meetc>forunrtgeneratc Petfo~~ to rake inro their mouths. 6. VJ_ee wicn:ffe,.th..i~ if a Ch~rch refufeto hearkeA to die v0yce ofMag1ftrates 111 delJymg the E1e/:twn,-or ordination of (uch an , bne t? Office,. wh~m r~ey ,fin~e to be croublelume co .the State, then .tt may _be lawtull for Ma~t fl rates to delay che~rantir~ 0 f the Petition ,,f fuch a Church fc•r La11dHhat lie convenient for rll:em ~-'· w_miamJ wimtlfeoh, th~ t in fi1ch a cafe tho Church, wkofe Pluuon IS fo delayed, may wnte Letters of Admonition to all the !'lhutchl'l'; :Vhcreoffueh Ma ?-ifl o_a ~es are memhm, to oequire thent togl-ant wtthnm delay fuch Penttons, or el fe to Proceedt d{lainfr· them in a Cr urch·VJay. Now let the ChUtchei ofJefusChl >lt,•nd •ll th; S1inrs on elmh jitdge, in whrrher lOI t of thete wimefios, the word and S"irit or <;hrift, or A<·tichri~ breatheth. As for c he deci ph'e r~n g wh'ich the Ex1miner malted(~ I M' Cot" "'"' {wimining with the ft•:"'"" of nut· . ~Jid •credit, arJdp,-<jit,.and {lnitinz.•'"_itbthe ft)l, ondfi,·ord of PufJCu· tronof [uch aJ doe ndt ;oym m wn·:''l'"'"b hzm. I can not fay chat l ~~vefV:t>rn, bur I th>liJke God I have WJded throni'h cied ir, ·u1d 8t,fcredlt, .through evtll <tep01 t, and [(OOd r<poo t, as a decciv..,r,4nd · yet true. And for profir, I have neither . bound •. d in fi r p~ fluitir$, nor( through mercy) have been lonJ! denicure of ncceff, rk~ : buc W~echer this be a badge of Amichnfl , and nor compatible to the . Wltne!fcs .ef Cbrifi,I have net yet learned. An~ " 55 |
