A80640:420
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the…
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A dissuasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book entitled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A disswasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book intituled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.
London: printed by Matthew Simmons for John Bellamie, 1648
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.
SECT. II.
In the second century of years, the Government of the Church was administered, not in a Classical, but in a Congregational way, as in the former century, of wch we need no better evidence, then the evident Testimony of the Magdeburgenses, in the second century, chap. 7, tit. de consociatione ecclesiarum, cat rum (say they) si quis probatos authores hujus seculi perspiciat, videbit Forman Gubernationis propemodum [Greek or Hebrew] similem fuisse. Singulae enim parem habebant postestatem, verbum Dei pure dicendi, Sacramenta Administrandi, ⟨p. 97⟩Excommunicandi Haereticos, & sceleratos, ministros eligendi, vocandi, ordinandi, & justissimas ob causas iterum deponendi, conventus & Synodos congregandi, &c. that is, If a man search the approved Authors of this age, he shall see the Form of the Government, to be almost like to a Democracy: For every single Church had equal power of preaching the Word, administering Sacraments, excommunicating heretics and notorious offenders, absolving penitents, choosing, calling, ordaining Ministers, and upon just and weighty causes deposing them again: power also of gathering Conventions and Synods, &c.
In the second century of yeares, the Government of the Church was administred, not in a Classical, but in a Congregationall way, as in the former century, of wch we need no better evidence, then the evident Testimony of the Magdeburgenses, in the second century, chap. 7, tit. de consociatione ecclesiarum, cat rum (say they) si quis probatos authores hujus seculi perspiciat, videbit Forman Gubernationis propemodum 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 similem fuisse. Singulae enim parem habebant postestatem, verbum Dei pure dicendi, Sacramenta Administrandi,