A80640:430
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.
And that the people had the like concourse in the absolution and admission of penitents, appeareth by Cyprian in the same Epistle,
Vix Pl•bi persuadeo (saith he) immo extorqueo, ut tales patiantur Admitti: (tales nempe, de quorum sincera Paenitentia vix Plebi constabat) & justior factus est Fraternitatis Dolor, ex eo quod unus atque alius obnitente Plebe, & contradicente, mea tamen facilitate suscepti, p•jores extiterunt quam prius fuerant. With much ado I persuade people, & even wrest it from them, that they would suffer such to be admitted, (of whose repentance they were doubtful: and the grief of the brotherhood is so much the more just, because one or two before having been received by my facility (the people gainsaying, and striving against it) proved worse afterwards then they were before.
Vix Pl•bi persuadeo (saith he) immo extorqueo, ut tales patiantur Admitti: (tales nempe, de quorum sincera Paenitentia vix Plebi constabat) & justior factus est Fraternitatis Dolor, ex eo quod unus atque alius obnitente Plebe, & contradicente, mea tamen facilitate suscepti, p•jores extiterunt quam prius fuerant. With much adoe I perswade people, & even wrest it from them, that they would suffer such to be admitted, (of whose repentance they were doubtfull: and the grief of the brotherhood is so much the more just, because one or two before having been received by my facility (the people gainsaying, and striving against it) proved worse afterwards then they were before.
Where though he spake of the peoples gainsaying and striving against his receiving of one or two: yet it evidently appeareth that in his ordinary and usual course, he was not wont to receive any without the peoples consent. And even then when they did gainsay and strive against his act at first, yet he was not wont to proceed, till with importunate persuasions, and wrestlings with them, he had prevailed with them to give way.