B21048:35
A discourse about civil government in a new plantation whose design is religion written…
A discourse about civil government in a new plantation whose design is religion written many years since by that reverend and worthy minister of the Gospel John Cotton ; and now published by some undertakers of a new plantation for general direction and information.
printed by Samuel Green and Marmaduke Johnson, 1663
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.
1Q. Whether a new Plantation, where all or the most considerable part of free Planters profess their purpose and desire of securing to themselves and to their posterity, the pure and peaceable enjoyment of Christ's Ordinances; Whether, I say, such Planters are bound in laying the Foundations of Church and Civil State, to take order, that all the free Burgesses be such as are in fellowship of the Church or Churches which are, or may be gathered according to Christ; and that those free Burgesses have the only power of choosing from among themselves Civil Magistrates, and men to be entrusted with transacting all public Affairs of Importance, according to the rules and directions of Scripture?
1Q. Whether a new Plantation, where all or the most considerable part of free Planters profess their purpose and desire of securing to themselves and to their posterity, the pure and peaceable enjoyment of Christ's Ordinances; Whether, I say, such Planters are bound in laying the Foundations of Church and Civil State, to take order, that all the free Burgesses be such as are in fellowship of the Church or Churches which are, or may be gathered according to Christ; and that those free Burgesses have the only power of chusing from among themselves Civil Magistrates, and men to be intrusted with transacting all publick Affairs of Importance, according to the rules and directions of Scripture?
- 1The true state of the Question.
I hold the Affirmative part of this Question upon this ground, that this course will most conduce to the good of both States; and by consequence to the common welfare of all, whereunto all men are bound principally to attend in laying the Foundation of a Common-wealth, lest Posterity rue the first Miscarriages, when it will be too late to redress them. They that are skilful in Architecture observe, that the breaking or yielding of a stone in the groundwork of a Building but the breadth of the back of a knife, will make a cleft of more then half a foot in the Fabric aloft: So important (saith mine Author) are fundamental Errors. The Lord awaken us to look to it in time, and send us his Light and Truth to lead us into the safest ways in these beginnings.