The bloody tenet, washed, and made white in the blood of the LambThe bloudy tenent, washed, and made white in the bloud of the Lambe

Answ. No verily: Put it in a like case: Suppose a child should miscall and revile his Mothers Sister, I might say, it is a fault meet to be corrected, yet not with so deep a correction, as to be disinherited: or that his Mother should be dispossessed of her inheritance, before it do appear, that she do tolerate her child in such revilings. Would such a speech infer, that in case it did appear, his Mother did tolerate him, that then his Mother were to be dispossessed of her inheritance? The true meaning of my speech, was to express, that such a sin, as reproaching of a Church for a sin, might deserve a Censure: yet not forthwith excommunication: ⟨p. 111⟩much less the Church to be excommunicated, whereof such an one is a member, and least of all, before it did appear, that the Church knew of it, or did tolerate it: The scope of my speech was, not to hold forth the grievous desert of a reproach, but the groundless proceeding unto separation for a reproach, both against a member, and against the Church that tolerated him, without any further conviction, or obstinacy, which was the case in hand of Mr. Williams. Some body, he saith, reproached the Church of Salem for separation, some member of some Church. But what member of what Church, he saith not? And yet this is one of the stumbling blocks that turned him out of the way of communion with all the Churches in the Country, who (for ought I know) never heard of it unto this day. Let him now say, that mine own confessions are sufficient Answers to my self, as if I granted, that in case the member had been known, who so reproached Salem, and the Church known whereof he was a member, That then there were a lawful separation from the Church that doth but tolerate her member in a causeless reproach, yea and from all other Churches too, that hold Communion with that Church.

Answ. No verily: Put it in a like case: Suppose a childe should miscall and revile his Mothers Sister, I might say, it is a fault meete to be corrected, yet not with so deepe a correction, as to be disinherited: or that his Mother should be dispossessed of her inheritance, before it doe appeare, that she doe tolerate her childe in such revilings. Would such a speech inferre, that in case it did appeare, his Mother did tolerate him, that then his Mother were to be dispossessed of her inheritance? The true meaning of my speech, was to expresse, that such a sinne, as reproaching of a Church for a sin, might deserve a Censure: yet not forthwith excommunication: ⟨p. 111⟩