N00594:100
Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton,…
Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton, who dyed, 23.d. 10.m. 1652. Mr. John Norton, who dyed, 5.d. 2.m. 1663. Mr. John Wilson, who dyed, 7.d. 6.m. 1667. Mr. John Davenport, who dyed, 15.d. 1.m. 1670. Reverend and renowned ministers of the Gospel, all, in the more immediate service of one church, in Boston; and Mr. Thomas Hooker, who dyed, 7.d. 5.m. 1647. Pastor of the church at Hartford; New-England. / Written, by Cotton Mather. ; [Three lines of Latin quotation]
Boston : Printed for and sold by Michael Perry, at his shop, under the west end of the Town-House., 1695
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
§. 18. To avoid them, that thirsted for his Ruin, Mr. Cotton, travelled under a Changed Name and Garb, with a full purpose of going over for Holland; but when he came near the Place; where he would have Shipped himself, he met with a Kinsman, who Vehemently and Effectually persuaded him to Divert into London. Here the Lord had A Work for him to Do, which he little thought of! Some Reverend and Renowned Ministers of our Lord in that Great City, who yet had not seen Sufficient Reason to Expose themselves unto Persecutions for the sake of Non-Conformity, but Looked upon the Imposed Ceremonies, as Indifferent and Sufferable Trifles, and Weighed not the Aspect of the Second Commandment, upon all the Parts and Means of Instituted Worship; took this Opportunity for a Conference with Mr. Cotton; being persuaded, That since he was, No Passionate, but a very Judicious man, they should prevail with him rather to Conform, than to leave his Work and his Land. Unto the Motion of a Conference Mr. Cotton most readily yielded; and First, all their Arguments for Conformity, together with Mr. Byfield's, Mr. Whatel•s and Mr. Sprints, were produced; all of which Mr. Cotton answered, unto their Wonderful Satisfaction. ⟨p. 29⟩Then, he gave his Arguments for his Non-Conformity, and the Reasons, why he must rather Forgo his Ministry, or at least his Country, than Wound his Conscience with unlawful Compliances: the issue whereof was, that instead of bringing Mr. Cotton […] to what he had now forsaken, he brought Them off altogether from what they had hither to practised; Every one of those Eminent Persons, Dr. Goodwin, Mr. Nigh, and Mr. Davenport, now became all that he was, and, at last, left the Kingdom for their being so. But Mr. Cotton▪ being now at London, there were Three Places, which offered themselves to him for▪ his Retreat; Holland, Barbados, and New-England. As for Holland, The Character and Condition which Famous Mr. Hooker had Reported thereof, took off his Intentions of Removing thither. And Barbados had not near such Encouraging Circumstances, upon the best Accounts, as New-England; where ou• Lord Jesus Christ, had a more than Ordinary Thing to be done for His Glory, in an American Wilderness, and so would send over a more than Ordinary Man, to be employed in the Doing of it.