A34675:143
A defence of Mr. John Cotton from the imputation of self contradiction, charged on…A defence of Mr. John Cotton from the imputation of selfe contradiction, charged on…
A defence of Mr. John Cotton from the imputation of self contradiction, charged on him by Mr. Dan. Cawdrey written by himself not long before his death ; whereunto is prefixed, an answer to a late treatise of the said Mr. Cawdrey about the nature of schism, by John Owen ...A defence of Mr. John Cotton from the imputation of selfe contradiction, charged on him by Mr. Dan. Cavvdrey written by himselfe not long before his death ; whereunto is prefixed, an answer to a late treatise of the said Mr. Cavvdrey about the nature of schisme, by John Owen ...
Oxford: printed by H. Hall for T. Robinson, 1658
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
I said it for a third Answer, That it were no just matter of calumny, If in some latter Tractate, I should Retract or express more commodiously, what I wrote in a former less safely: as Augustine &c.
I said it for a third Answer, That it were no just matter of calumny, If in some latter Tractate, I should Retract or expresse more commodiously, what I wrote in a former lesse safely: as Augustine &c.
Whereto he Replieth, Truly Sr, It had been no just Calumny so to do, but matter of Honour and Reputation rather. But to write Contradictions, and to take no Notice of them, till observed by others: and then to be so far from Retracting, as to stand upon Justification of them, is nothing like Augustine's Practise, and so falleth short of his Reputation.
Whereto he Replyeth, Truly Sr, It had been no just Calumny so to do, but matter of Honour and Reputation rather. But to write Contradictions, and to take no Notice of them, till observed by others: and then to be so farre from Retracting, as to stand upon Justification of them, is nothing like Augustines Practise, and so falleth short of his Reputation.
Answer: Though Augustine Retracted, what he was convinced of, to be erroneous, or unsafe, yet he did not Retract ⟨p. 25⟩what every one objected against him, (not only what Faustus, or Petilius or Julian objected, but not so much as what Jerome himself objected,) but justly stood upon his own Defence. Had Vindex his objections been Convictions, Reason, and (I hope) conscience, would not have suffered me to Justify known Errors. He doth himself bear me witness, That he hath sometimes heard, I have often changed my opinions. And (I thank God) I take it for no shame to change for the better.