A80640:651
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.
Arg. 2. If Christ had spoken to Peter here of building a ministerial Church upon his confession, and gifting it with the Power of the Keys, then the Visible Church should be made as stable and firm from defection, as the Church of elect Believers, against whom the gates of Hell cannot prevail. Now this is most untrue, since Visible Churches do fall away (as the seven Churches in Asia, the Church of Corinth, Ephes••, &c.) and likewise this would warrant the Papists to make use of this place, as they do, to prove the Invincible stability of the Church and their impossibility of Apostasy, &c.
Arg. 2. If Christ had spoken to Peter here of building a ministerial Church upon his confession, and gifting it with the Power of the Keys, then the Visible Church should be made as stable and firm from defection, as the Church of elect Believers, against whom the gates of Hell cannot prevail. Now this is most untrue, since Visible Churches do fall away (as the seven Churches in Asia, the Church of Corinth, Ephes••, &c.) and likewise this would warrant the Papists to make use of this place, as they do, to prove the Invincible stability of the Church and their impossibility of Apostacy, &c.
Answ. 1. Though this or that Visible Church do fall away, yet Christ hath ever had some or other Visible Church upon the face of the earth, in one Country or other. Else the gates of hell had more prevailed against the Visible Christian Church, then ever this could do against the Visible Jewish Synagogue.
Answ. 2. This or that Visible Church that did fall away, was not a society of such profest believers as were built upon a rock; but rather the sinful generation that rose up after them, who did degenerate from their Parents faith and Profession, and so fell into the gulf of Apostasy, whether Turkish or Antichristian.