A80640:47
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
Treatise 1 › Chapter 2 › Section 3: Of Mr. Brown, and Barrow.
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. III. Of Mr. Brown, and Barrow.
Of Mr. Brown and Mr. Barrow, it is far from me to make any defence either of their persons, or of their way of rigid Separation: the hand of God upon their spirit, giving them up, one to a spirit of inconstancy and profaneness; the other to a spirit of bitterness and rashness. Though it is no just conviction of the errors of their way of Separation: yet it is a shrewd argument that either their way was not right, or their hearts not upright in it.
Of Mr. Brown and Mr. Barrow, it is farre from me to make any defence either of their persons, or of their way of rigid Separation: the hand of God upon their spirit, giving them up, one to a spirit of inconstancy and prophanenesse; the other to a spirit of bitternesse and rashnesse. Though it is no just conviction of the errors of their way of Separation: yet it is a shrewd argument that either their way was not right, or their hearts not upright in it.
But this let me say, be it so, that Brown did revolt from his way, and took a Parsonage from the Bishop, and that in a Town by name called A-church in Northampton-shire, (a real check to his error, who formerly counted every Church in England no Church:) yet this back sliding of Brown from that way of Separation, is a just reason why the Separatists may disclaim denomination from him, and refuse to be called after his name, Brownists. If Judas, or Julian, or Ecebolius do apostate from Christianity, no reason is there that all that profess the way of Christianity should be called Judaites, or Julianists, or Ecebolians. In the Ecclesiastical History, though Photinus was the disciple of Marcellus in an heretical opinion touching Christ: yet the followers of them both, when Marcellus had revoked his error, were not called Marcellini but Photiniani. To speak with reason, if any be justly to be called Brownists, it is only such as revolt from Separation to Formality, and from thence to profaneness. For Mr. Barrow, though I neither excuse the unsoundness of his judgment, nor the bitterness of his style: yet I doubt the Dissuader is deceived, when he saith, That Queen Elizabeth was so impatient of his contumelies, that she caused him in a morning to be hanged on the Tower-hill. For there be grave Professors (who lived nearer those occurrences) who speak of Queen Elizabeth as ignorant of Barrow's execution, and Greenwood's, and displeased at it, when she heard of it afterwards: neither was their execution on Tower-hill, but at Tyburn, long after the sentence of death passed against them.