A80640:85
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.
The Separatists (saith the Dissuader) were their Fathers. This is demonstrable not only by the consanguinity of their Tenets, (the one having borrowed all their chief Doctrines ⟨p. 13⟩and practises from the other:) but also by deduction of their Pedigree in this clear Line. Mr Robinson did derive his way to his Separate Congregation at Leiden; a part of them did carry it over to Plymouth in New-England: Here Mr. Cotton took it up, and did transmit it to Mr. Goodwin, who did help to propagate it to sundry others in Old-England first, and after to more in Holland; till now by many hands it is sown thick in divers parts of the Kingdom.
The Separatists (saith the Disswader) were their Fathers. This is demonstrable not onely by the consanguinity of their Tenents, (the one having borrowed all their chief Doctrines ⟨p. 13⟩and practises from the other:) but also by deduction of their Pedegree in this clear Line. Mr Robinson did derive his way to his Separate Congregation at Leyden; a part of them did carry it over to Plymmouth in New-England: Here Mr. Cotton took it up, and did transmit it to Mr. Goodwin, who did helpe to propagate it to sundry others in Old-England first, and after to more in Holland; till now by many hands it is sown thick in divers parts of the Kingdom.
Answ. That the Separatists were our Fathers, we have justly denied it above; seeing they neither begat us to God, nor to the Church, nor to their Schism. That we are (through grace) begotten to God, and to his Church, we received (many of us) from the blessing of Christ upon the Ministry of England. That we grew weary of the burden of Episcopacy and Conformity, we received from the Word of God by the help of the Non-conformists there. That we laid aside the Book of Common-prayer, we received from the serious meditation of the second Commandment, and not from the Writings of the Separatists, though they also had taken up the same Conclusion upon other premises. The particular visible Church of a Congregation to be the first subject of the power of the Keys, we received by the light of the Word from Mr. Parker, Mr. Baynes, and Dr. Ames: from whom also, (from two of them at least) we received light out of the Word, for the matter of the visible Church to be visible Saints; and for th Form of it, to be a mutual Covenant, whether an explicit or implicit Profession of Faith, and subjection to the Gospel of Christ in the society of the Church, or Presbytery thereof. And these be the chief Doctrines and practises of our way, so far as it differeth from other Reformed Churches. And having received these, not from the Separatists, but from the Lord Jesus, by gracious Saints, and faithful witnesses of Jesus; the consanguinity of our Tenets with any the like found amongst the Separatists, will not demonstrate the Separatists to be our Fathers.