A80640:86
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.
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.
Answ. That the Separatists were our Fathers, we have justly denyed 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 Ministery 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 Commandement, 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 Keyes, 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 mutuall Covenant, whether an explicite or implicite 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 faithfull witnesses of Jesus; the consanguinity of our Tenents with any the like found amongst the Separatists, will not demonstrate the Separatists to be our Fathers.