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Show 62 Mafter John Cottons Anfwer --- yet nere he ·an(wertth nothing to 1<1 though it be the very hinge of the Controverfie, If we meet with any Anfwcr to it in the (e· qu<l<, we fball (God w~lling )cor~fider of it in its place. Q, e\y Jet meadde thiS third thing tocleare 1he llateof the COil· uoverfie more fully, That to this d•y·we doe notfee nor dilcerne, tharit is any A.teichri!Han pollmion at all, for a member of any of our Churches,g,oing over into Er~gl•nd,to he are rhe word Preach· ed by a well-gifted Min1!1:er in the Parifh A!femblies. T 0 C• H A Po X 'J, 'IN this Chapter, the Examiner propoundeth a fecond, ihird, ·.. fourth, and fifth Reafon, to prove that, (which I deny not) to wit, 1hat a necejfitie I:Jetb upqn!f,odly men, before they can be fit matter for Church· fel!o"'jhip, truely to Jee and bwnbl1 to hew aile their jpiritu•ll bor~dag< under Antichrtj!ian pollutjon,andwithallto obt&inejome power and jlrength from J<[Uf Cbrijl to bring them out •f it. This I fay,I deny not,nor ever did· But this neceffitie I conceive to be NecejfitaJ pr£cepti1 ( asthey call ir, or officii) as that which is the commandement of God, and the duty of godly men to doe·: •1;\ut not Necej]itat medij ad ftnem, fuch a neceffitie;as without which a godlyperfon cannot be a member of the Church, unle!fe the fpi• rituall bondage under Antichri!1:ian pollution , doe fo f•rre en· thrall him to Andchrill,as to feparate him from Chri!1: as he is the Head of the vifiblo Church. Which what it is, we fhall have fitter occafion to fpeake ofinothe fequele. To his fecond Argument I would therefore Anfwer, that as an holy Altar •nd Temple to God, could not have been built to God in the mid it of B>bylon,but the Builders mull come locally out of BJbelto build it in Hierufolem: So a Church of Chrifl cannot be built to God,bm by fuch Builders as fpiritually come om of Ami· chriftian pollutions and inventions, at le•ll out of {uch pollutions as keepe them flill in Babel, and detaine them under Amichrifl,,nd fcparatc them from Chril\. T ci \lis third Argument, I would grant allthat·he faith in it tO be true: 'But how he applieth it to inferre his conduiion, he nei· ther~xprdfcth, nor is it eafie for me to. gather. If his meaning be, that to Mafter Roger Williams. that Luther, and other godly perfons, ~ight not b'e e e· d • h c 11 {h' • r c rve mto Churc -te ow tp m thofe da~es, .be.caufe they faw not the bot· tomle!fe gulfe of all thofe 1\nttchnlltan corruptiom wh' h h Lord hath fince difcovmd·; It is a conclofion that J d1u a lC ~ e r 'II h be ru not In· rerre,nor WI e everabletom•kegood. ltisnotalw fill Moone in refpe& of fpiritualllight with every Church otb"~ ~ ill.ili~ • m To his fourth Argument, taken from my own Prat\:itl.. In-th I doe not recei~e all Perfom, Eminem for Grace and godlinejfe, r:rthw>:: to the fellowfh•P of the LordJ. Supper, till upon tbeir entra1JC1l into Cove· nant1 w1th a Cmfejfzon offatth,&c. I would anfwer,it is not becaufe lthinke fuch perfons are not fie matter for Church-eftate; but becaufe they yet want a fit ·Forme requifite to Church·ellate. • Hi's !all Argument,is taken from afam•U< Paffage (as he calls it) of a folem_ne ff<!!_ejlion P"' to .me, aud to the o:her New-Englijh Eldm, fill!~ wh~eh. I tr;"h th: rej! dzd .anfwer .N,gatlvely1 That if godly perfons· cowmt.!tller h•ther ·d•d rtfufe to fubm•t to our "''9' of worfbip and Government, that then theyco11ldnot onely not enj•!) Church-fellowfhip tog< ther1 but not be permimd to breath and live;, the fame common ayre and Commor•·wealt h together. To which I anfwer ; 1 . That it is fuit•ble to his wonted bold· ntlfe, ro affirme that.of me which is more then he knoweth,and in· deed more then istruth. For though he fay, that M'.Cotton, and the.New· Englifh Eiders remrned thar Anfwer: yet the anfwcr to that Q!!eltion, and to all the other thirty-two Qc!dlions, were drawnc up by M'. MJder, and neither dr.1wne up nor fent by me, nor (for ought I know) by the ocher Elders here, though pubiifh· ed by one of our Elrlers there. Howfoever, the fubllance of that Anfwer( not which M'. IYiili•nu rehearfe,h, but wh;ch M'. M~dcr returned ) doth generally ftrire with all our mindes, as I con• ccive. 2. In particular; The Anfwer which our reverend ant\ beloved ~tother M'. Mader did returoe unto that Q!!elliim, I have read ir, and did readily approve it (as I doe the fub!1:ance of all his An· fwm) to be judicious, atld folide. But this I mull needs profdfe, that his Anfwer ro this Q.ucflion is notoriouOy OJJJdered, and a· bufed by the Examiner.· For |