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Show 6P Majfet John Cottons AR[wer ~ chrifti,;;, pollution. In which cafe, Noah, Abraham, Lor,Sampfon, J ub, Dav1d,Pcrer, in their dru~k!nneffe, lying, whoredomes,ctlfjings, murders Perjuries, though they were godly perfons : )el not fit mtmbers f or Cbu:Ch cjiate.And fo our C~utch· member s;howfoeve; g~dly otherwi[~, )'et through ignoranc<,and neglzgence, lyzng under Anuchrzjlzan pollutz· ons,ever Jince the Apojb jie, are nst jit members for Church- eflate. • Reply. J , I doe willingly allow him t~ be the In~crprctcr ~f~ts own meaning: and doe cafily grant htm, that wtth that dtflmaion he falveth his contradiaion. Jlut yet let him remember, his w~rdr were very unproper, to account godly Perfons fa/Ien into any alluaU Pollution, to be matter jimd for a Church, n• more then Trees or ~arrier are jit m•ller proportioJied to a Building. Wee are not wont, neither i11 common fpeech, nor in proper fpe,ch, to account fuch perfom, as have been already cut off from the rooteand pit of natmall corruption, to be no more then Trees and Q!_arries,though they have fince fallen into aauall pollution; but we rather account them like T imber and Stones, cut our, and ·hewen, yet fallen into fame mire by the breach of the Axeltree of their Carriage~ and therefore fit to be wafhed before they belayed in the Building• But leave that, as it pleafe him. &p!J. 2. He may doe well to confider 1 that the moll of thofe Saints he nasneth , were not as rude Trees and Qyarries unpro• portioned to the Building, but as Trees of Righteoufnelle, and li· ving Stones, layed by God himfelfein the Building of his Church. Bur I eafily grant him, that 2ccordin~ to the Difcipline of rbe Chu,c!les ofCbrill.in the dayes of the Gofpel, it were meete tb~l godly per IOns falling into any grolle, and fcandalous, and'.notort· ous pollution, they fhould firll give fJtisfaaion to the Church by profe!lion of their Repentance, before they be received into holy fellowfhip with the Lord, and hi• People, in Church-communion. In which relpett, if Chrill be con lidered as he•d of the vifib!e Church, he whn is a member ofth eChurch , (and (o a member of Chrifi) may fall fo foully into grolfe !inne,andbefo en thralled tO it, as to be feparate from rhe Church, yea and from Chrill roo, confide red as the vilible head ot ir. And therefo re the Exami>Zer rnif IOO~ /Jimflfe,a11d me too,wben he writeth,th.r I affirmed ,that godly p~· fo,ns car.not be fo enthralled to Alllichrijl,IH to fop-U'atet hem Jrorn Ghrift. F pr I neve{ denied,that godly perlous may lall,as into other grollide an to Mafter Roger Williams. ---- and notorious linnes;fo al fo into g;:;;ae and nororiousAn~----- Pollurions, (o as to feparate them from Church-Communion, yea and from Chrill himfdfe,u he is the Head of the lilible Church. Reply. 3· llut to cleare the point more fully and pl~i nly ; Put the cafe, that rhe Saints whom the Examiner ferteth forth in their pollution~, (as Noah, Abraham, Lot, Sarnpfon, Job, David, Peter,) fup• pofe, I fay, they had openly protelfed their Repentance for their open fc1ndalls1 of drunkennelfe, lying, incel\1 murder,&c. and all their other knowne fcandalls, bur had neither difcerned nor be· wayled the finne of Polygamy : yea, fuppufe the Church with which they might joyne,did neitherdifcerne the neceftitie, nor dude of acknowledging that Iinne, whether fuch S•ints were to be refufed from Church-communion,( as rude Trees andQ:!.uries?) or if they were received as members into the Church, wl:\s:rher was fuch a Church to befcparated from ? If yea, we mull look for ne\'l Rules farit out of a new Gufpel.lf no,then will the Examiner want a R.ule for hia (epa ration from all the Churches in New· England. For this is. the very flare of the Q!!ellion, asthe Eltl ntiner himfdfe rehearfeth ir, in thi~ Chapter. For be having objeacd, that a oecejfitie lieth upon gnd!J men, before they can be fit m'tter for Churcbfrllowjhip, to foe, bewailt1repent,•nd com~ out ofthejalfo C/;urc!;cJ, wor· Jhip, Minifltry, Government; ( accordmg, ta Smpturcr, l f.u. 62. II. 2 Cor. 6. '7·) .AtJd this to he don:, n.ot b! a locJII remJov,z!l, bur by a d<liverance of tbe fou'e,underftJndzng,wzll,)"dgeme~t and :Jfe[{zon,&:. Hdubjoyneth my Anfwer ou< of my Letter m thele word s! I. We gr.nt rbJt it is not lncall remnov./1 frnrn.fJrmer p,Ourzon, nor contrary p'-Bzfe, thJt jitteth U< fur fdlowft1ip wirb Ch~ift, a.,d hi1 Church : but tb.t it ir ncceff•>:J alfo, t.bJt we due repmt of fociJ formtr PaUutionJ whercwirb '"' h,ve bun dejif,d .lnd erz thr.lld. :2, fYe ~rant f urtbt r, th"u it it nt!ce.Jf-lry to CfJUrcb fo!lu:Pfoip, that Jre jh11u'dfoe :.md di{rer1u a!l fo t:b poll~ t~OfJ.f, ~ d~e {1 f u·re etltbt JII ttl to llmichrijl, ar tn f•P'"" U< f rom Clmft. B"t th~ we pro/c[fo ttnto 7""• 1h.zt wlu rein we h 'lVe rejurnud our praf11{t, therem Wl b .J iN ~~zde.zu,?urtdun[ Jined!J to b;<rnbleur<r fouler for oru fon n:r cO!ltu ty.n•"l",mg.lf '"} tbrongh bypocrifie are wanti1ll, hm}n, tbe hidden hyp1crifi< offomt "':'1 not prejudice tbejinceritie, anJj,Jllhfu/l~effi ofozbm, nor the Cburcc· eftate of all. . • • • This though. the EJUmin:r doe reh:arfe It here to thts Chapter. ycc |