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Show <.Mafttr John Coti:ons :Anfwtr grow in Grace, and ktfowledge of 011r Lord J•f!i!, &c •. "&ply. Itis an unwelcome Subjetl:to goe about to convince others of want of-growth in Grace, efpecially, when wee fpeake of -churctlcs, ana that before wee have in a more private manner deale with them. I I coke at it a"s more feafonable to .provoke our owne Churches to more grow~h of Grace at home. For even true Churches ( aa th:n of lphefm,ltevel. 2.) may decay in their firft love. Onely thus much I would fay , the lirft Inventor of that way which is called Brownifrne , from whom the Se& cooke illll name, It is \Yell knowne that he did not ~row ·in Grace , but fe~l back fir!Hrom his owne way, to tak'e a Parlonageof a Parilh-Church in England in N ortbarnptunjheire-, called a Church: God fo'in a firange (yet wife) providence ordering, that he who 'bad utterly renounced -atl the Churches in England<as no Church lbould afterlvards aecept of one P arifh-Church amangft them, and it called a Ohnrch, and from thence he fell to O•gahs, in the Temple of hi• owne Church (as I ha~e been credibly irlformed) and ;from thence tO difcord Withlhis beft hearers, and bitter perferution of them at the' Ia A. It is not God ~ ufuall manner of dealing•tole:we any of the firft pub!Hhets or relloren~of any Truth of his to fuch feartfull Apdfi<acy from his Grace, though I Judge not his finall Elhtte. Twill not rehearfe what I read In printed Books of the unkind, . and ungracious> 'and unbrotherly dealings of fome of note in thai ~~~ay, whtlA: they maintainetl.the rigor of it. That which the Ex· :lminer hitnfelf.e hath rehear feCI ih this very chapter,, may fuffice zb tttew what groWth of Godlineffe was found in that Church, the Oilicer whereof himfelfe A:yleth a ' worthy Inftrurnent of Gods l'f'ay!E :'and: fureTy he was a man that deferved well ohhe Church, foe fuodry of his Learned, and painfull , -and p•ofitable labourr. Otic wou!d.hope , .that where the Lord· bleffcth a people with ~owth of godlinelfe, the people would grow bell: under the bell Miitlliers of that way. Mr. Aynfwortbr name is of be A elleeme {\vithout all exception) in dtafway-, who refufed Communion with lic.aring in,E,.gland. And if his people fulfered him to live UJl" 00. nine ~]enceaweelt, widHoouboyled (as the Examiner cold• ~)! IIUct:teitllerthepeopte were gr9wnetoa very extre111e, low Eftatt," to Mafttr Roger W\~lian\s. ~ ~::-c:-!-f:~-~-o-r,-~:1-(~-t-he-,g-;tqwtb,oftheirgoqline,ff:c:-w:=':l-:!:-:g:::r-o-w-~-n.-t-o a-v-e-ry--...:_~ l<?~ el!b. ro GHA P· XX.IIII. JN4is,~ 4· a.qd 2 ~. C:hapters , the Examiner giveth Anfwer to that lpeech,m my Letter, 1hat foch ( of the SepJMion) <if erring through J}_mpticity and tendm•effi, have grOll'ne in Grace, have growne fifo to dijcerllf their l4fFfuU L,iberty for the hearing of the word from the E'n_glifb Prea,h~rr. Th\s,I !peake wi!h refpell:to Mr.Robinfon,and to his Church , who as he grew to many excellent gifts both of GfaCe,'\nd rv.ture: (o he grew ~q~cknowled~e, and in a JudicillYS, and jlodly difcourfe to apwove and defend the lawfull Liber· 1¥ of he;oring the word from the gpdly Preachers of the Parifbea in England. - ' ' ~~ iQ, cl)b ,41 C~~pter the Exami9er anfwere(h nothing a. gain II: the truth of QIY fpeech. Onely he telleth of fowe Jorls of Backjliders [rem fundry '!ruther of God, whom he bath ohferveilto be kft of Gad to fad a7.1d exet~Jflary fPiritu.U Judgements. · But becaufe he fpeakech of fuch as have decayed in grace, and • fpe*e u.f fuch as grQ\V in grace, his inftances come not 'ueere t;he point In hand. l eafily heleive that Hypa.crites ma_y grow from ~viii to worfe deceiving apd being deceived : 2 'Iim. 3· 13. But a fi, tcere humble Chriftian1 though he ro,ay ftar~ afiqe for a fCafon, ~et <;.hrif'l is nOJ: wont to leave him fo : but fee~e(h up every !hay- 11\eep of his, and brin~eth t~em to heare and k110W his voyce in til; mout.he~ of his Shephearda. To CHAp. XXV. IN this 2 t• chapter, bec~ufe! ~ad faicl, as they bave growne in Grace, th<j have grorpne in difcerning tbeirlawfz<~ Liberty to heare tqe w.rd fi•m the Englijb f reacbm. He tds us, he might here <ljgage himfolfe in a co1llrovzrfte fVitb me~ bu( th:~,.t n<ith er the 'lreatij< wiU permit: nor it t~ere med, Ji11c~ it bath fleaj~~~~e F~tber of I,ightt tojlim up thejfirit ofaf•itbfu/1 Qq :r. wim'ffi |