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Show 1)0 <..Mafter John Cottons .Anfwer To C H A 'P• X XV I I. THe third part of the Examiners difcourfe touching Englijb Preacher!, taketh up this 27 Ch•pter: and it is concerning the c.lling and com million of the Englt{h Preacher!. , M'.Cotton'himfel[e'( faith he) and others1nofl emimnt in New· Eot~land, have freely canf-11: · Ftrft, 'Ih•t notwithjl.anding their prafo[ftanof Minijlery in Old Eng· land :; et'ill New-England (til/they received a CaUingfram aporti· d.lar Church) that they were but private Chrijliarn. Secondly, 'That Chrift Jefu< hath appointed no other Calling to the Minijl,ry,but fuch IH they pral1ife in New· England, andthereforecan• fi'l!'e nt ly, that all other, which ir not from a particular Congregation lf god(y perfons,;, uune •fChrijls. AI jirjl' II c :.Uing and Cammij]ion from the Bijbaps. ' s, condly, From a P arijb of natural/ and tmregeneriltt perfons. , , Ti;irdly, From fome few godly perfons,yet remai!llng in Church·fol· li;;,(hip after t'he P arijh way. Fourthly,1bat eminent gifuand abilities""' but qualifications fit· tiug orprepar'ingfor a CaU to an Office, t Tim. 3· Tit. I •. ' ;tq·which pieil;li{is' duly confidmd; he 1eftreth that 'M': Cotton, tmd aU that fiare 'Gad, might try what will abide the fiery 'triaU in thit p1Wticular, when the LordJefm fhaU be revealed in Jl~mingftre, &c. . Rep!J. It ie a weake caufe that iiinaintained on~ly by the te(b• monies of anverfanes, r,nd !'hem either mill a ken ur fallilied. It li In him "eft her a in'illake, or a fraudulent expreffion of o11r ;mindes, to fay, 'that notwitbjlanding our former prafij]ion of Mini· :fi ery in Old England, yet ( tiU we received a C11lling from a partiCHiar· C!Jurch) we were but private Chriftians. Thi1 fpeech may be (o conceived,as if nocwithftandingour for· mer profdlion ofMinillery in Old England: yet indeed we confell, our Minillcry there was no Miniftery :and this ill a falfe expreffion of our mindes. It may be alfo conceived,that we confeft,we had no calling from a.particular Church, till we caine to New-Englatfd, And tlli! i1 al· fo a falCe expreffion of our mindes likewife. Or it may be conceived) that notwithllanding our former pro- . fe!lioll - ro Majler Roger ~~lliams. fe!Jion and exercife ofMiniftery in Old England: yet being call out from thence by the ufurpiqg power o( the Prelacy, and,difmilfed ( (hOU 'h againll their will!) by our Congregations, ( fave ocely (uch at came along with us) we looked at our felves as private members, and not Offi~ers t\) any Church here,umill•one or other ~hurch might c'~ll us unto Office. Thi1 ~ence _of our profcffi~n il true, but nothing availe~ble to the Exammers mtcndmcnt. Secondly, It is,in him another ~illake, or elfe a fraudulent ex· preffioQ. of our mindes, when.hefanh, Wee hold and frre~ confiffi> that 'Cbrij! J efw h; th appoint~d no othrr Calling to th• Minifery, but fxch "'· ":' p; 'alJife in New· Engl,an~ : A1<d1lw an1_other CaUmg to the Mini fiery, which ir nat from a parucufar Congregation of gad!! perfons, H none ofCh~ij!s, ' Though wed~ beleeve and profe!fe the calling whic~ \Ye have received t<i the Mini~e~Y,_ in New-England, to be of Chrtll : yc\ 1. It is an infolent phrafe that favoureth of more arrogancy, ~hen cit~~~ we,d~,re ufe, or a~l<:wit,t <:ur felves or others, to fe,eme to make our callin~to the Mtmllery m N<w· Englalld, a Rule, and patteme, and pr"'7dent toa11 the c'~~rchesofChrift thro~gho~t the world. Did ever any man meete wnh fuch an expreffion m any of o~~ writings? 'Ihat Chrijl Je[f!l hath appointed no other Calling to the Miniftery,but {uch IH we prallife in Ncw-England?Such language doth neicher,beco~ the lips of.M'.W'illiams, nor of any Mini,fter in New-England. 1. Though we belee~.qur cal!i1,1gto be ofGod,yet we doenej· ther beleeve nor profe{fe,that every difference from us which other Churches n;~ay ufe i~;~ the calling of their ~inillm, doth nraight way make their callings no callings, or no callings 11f Chri!t Though it be our manFl~r ( a9d as we~ beleeve acc?rding to .t~e word)' that ever:y Churcl:t choofeth and calleth thetr own Mtmftm, 1apd ordaineth them b.y the Presbytery of the fall)~ Church : yet if the Pmbytery of other Churche~ commend a Miniller to a vacant Church, and upon the accepta~,ce of the Church, if the presbyters of tho(~ Churchesd9e ordaine him with theconfent of the Church, we doe not profdfe that this is np calling of Chrilt, or that' th'ele ~re no Minillers of Chrill. The fee chvice of the Chu1ch i~ .prerervcd ( f.J,rousht we know) in their fret; ac~~ptance of a Mip~l1er cow'llen<;l,ed to them. And "Yhecher the Mtl•tfl,er b< R. r 2 or· |