| OCR Text |
Show Mafter John CottOns Anfrl'er ved me: And fo bei11gJI"pl by the bandofGod, h< was not able t• prtr md to fPt.t~e any thi"g to purpoftmore, either to the·glor;of God, or 10 the rdijicatim of the p<eple. r.J.'.Gmn"'ood( the Examiners I all witndfe umo death )he indeed of all rhe refi w•s the more to be lamented, as being of a more ten< ler,antl-canfcientious fpirit:hm this have f heard reported of him by the fame credible hands, That if he could have been (undred from M'.B.rrow,he was tr.chble to have been gained to the tr.uth. Em when the Examiner goeth on to make comparifons between the Sufferings of the S:puatifb, and of ( thofe he fiyleth ) Purium, in his Margent, and in his Booke. No comp>rifon will hold from tbe Separarifis to them, but a Minori. Wbat compulfory banil, hments h~ve been put upon thofe blelfed and glorious lights, M. Cartwrzght, Par~r, Ames l To fay nothing of thofe in Scotland, or New-England:Whm have the Prifons been vacant offome or other godly Minifiers,and Profelfors? When will the Examiner !hew forth alike comrany of his witnelfes, to thofe 300. Mini- 1\ers (whom M'. Par~rcompareth to the 300. Souldiers of Gideon) who in. one ftorme ~f per~ecution, were feme fufpended, Come ex~o.mmumcated, fom~ Imp~Ifoned, all of them deprived of their Mmdrery, and of t~e!r mamtenance? And provifion made that none mig~t praai~e Phyficke,~r teach Schoole,unleff. they ~ould accept a Ltcence ~VIth fitbfcrlpnon? So that of neceflitie (had not ~e Lor~ been wifer, and ~ronger then men) they mufi in remedtle! T. mtfery, they and thetrs, have either beoged or fiarved ·But that with the L?rd t~ere be bowells of mercy, and fatherly ~ompaffions, and With h1m are plenteous redemptions 'and provifions and proteaion•, when men faile. ' · ' The Examiner proceedeth (in his Anfwer) to tell us further, 'Ih~t he beleeveth tbere h•th hard!J rver been a Cnnfci<11tiom SepJr"tift) who ~al not firft a P~rit,m. For ( ar Jl.-./. Can bath urzan(werab! J priiVed) t~e grounds and principlrs of the Purita>ll agajnfl Bijbnpf, and ~mmon'.", and proph,~cJ[e ~fpeoplr profojjing Cl>riJI: and themcejfim of Chrifl s flock._ and difct~lrnr, muJI. necejj:.rily ( iftrufJ joOorv•d) lead on to, and enforce a [rp.Jrilttrm. · Rep!J. I. If there W<r~ hordly ever any codi:irntiom Separatitl, who "':as n~t firfl a Pmltan, t~en it f<emerh, that if there bo any C?n.fctence m the Srparatifi•;u wa~ firfi wrought in tbem by the . Mm1fien of thofe whom he calleth Pudtans. 2. Say to Mafter Roger Williams. 2. Say it wer~ tr~e, that he pretendeth, That the principles and grounds of Pumamfme, dtd-enforce Separation:) yet I doe not underfiand, what it maketh to the point in hand. 3· Neither doe I underfiand, how it fuiteth with the Examiners profeflion who is wont to renounce all communion with Antichrillian inventions, fo frequently to take up Into his mouth and pen the Nickname of Puritans: which was at firfi devifed by Sanders the Jeliiite,to cafi a reproach upon the perfons and way cf reformers, to render them fufpicious aad odious to the State. The . righteous hand of the Lord firuck him-with madneffe who invented the name: nor doth he delight in them that delight to taKe up it reproach againfi the innocent. 4- How unanfwerably M'. Can hath proved the neceflity of Separation from their grounds and principles, I will not judge,. becaufe I have not feene his Booke. Bur to feparate from the Churches of England,. as no Churches, or falfe Churches., f.-om their Miniftery,as a f,.lfe Minifiery,from their Sermons as falfe worfh;p, from their profelfors as no v>fible Saints. And to prove all this out of the Principles and grounds of thofe holy, S.1in~ of God:, whom he mifnameth Puritans, will r<q~ire a firong efficacy of delufions, to make it appeare probable to a fad and judiGious fpirit ,. that is · not forefialled with prejudice, or partialitie. But the Examiner proceedeth in hiR Anfwer to enquire, What fhould be the Rea{on, why the SeparatiJI ( wbo witmffitb againJI !h•· Roote of the Co1lJiitution it felfe )jhot4ld jiTlde more j.-uaH1' thw the Puritan, or Non- confarmiJI?. And he telleth us, Doubtle§e thtreafons are evident•: I. Becaufo m•JI of the S<p.ratijls bave been poore iJlld low, and not foch gain full CuJiamers to the lliJh•f1-s, their Courts, and Officers. M'. Ainlworth bimfrlfe ( thaHgh a wart by i~Jir~tment of Gads praifo) lived t<pon TJilll! pwce irJ tbe rvee~ witb rom bnyled, d>c. R,pty. In part I will not deny feme truth and weight in this reafen; But take it for granted, and it doth but confirme whatl f•id.th• t the Separatifi fouud more favour then the Non·conformifi,. whatfoever the reafon was. The fecond reafon that he giveth is, That it u a principle in lla• llll't to preferre a profeJJed enem]> before a pretended friend. 1be Separatir ~ . |
