Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton,…

§. 21. The Churches now had Rest, and were Edified; and there were daily added unto the Churches, those that were to be Saved. Now, though the poor People were fed with the Bread of Adversity, and the Water of Affliction, yet they counted themselves abundantly compensated by This, That their Eyes might see such Teachers, as were now to be seen among them. The Faith and the Order in the Churches, was generally Glorious, whatever little Popular Confusions, might in some few Places, Eclipse the Glory. But the Warm Sun Shine will produce a Swarm of Insects; whilst matters were going on thus Prosperously, the Cunning and Malice of Satan, to break the Prosperity of the Churches, brought in a Generation of Hypocrites, who crept in unawares, turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness. A Company of Antinomian and Familistical Sectaries, were strangely crowded in among our more Orthodox Planters; by the Artifices of which busy Opinionists, there was a Dangerous Blow given, first unto the Faith, and so unto the Peace of the Churches. In the Storm thus Raised, it is Incredible, what Obloquy came to be cast upon Mr. Cotton, as if he had been the Patron of these Destroyers; merely because, they, willing to have a Great Person, in Admiration, because of Advantage, falsely used the Name of this Great Person, by the Credit thereof to ⟨p. 37⟩Disseminate and Dissemble their Errors; and because the chief of them in their Private Conferences with him, would make such fallacious Professions of Gospel-Truths, that his Christian and Abused Charity, would not permit him to be so Hasty, as many others were, in Censuring of them. However the Report given of Mr. Cotton, on this Occasion, by one Baily a Scotch man, in a most Scandalous Pamphlet, called, A Dissuasive, written to cast an Odium on the Churches of New England, by Vilifying him, that was one of their most Eminent Servants, are most horrid Injuries. For, there being upon the Encouragement of the Success, which the Old Nicene, Constan•inop•litane, Ephesine and Chalcedonian Councils had, in the Extinguishing of several Successive Heresies, a Council now called at Cambridge, Mr. Cotton after some Debates with the Reverend Assembly, upon some Controverted Points of Justification, most Vigorously Joined with the other Ministers of the Country; in Testifying against the Hateful Doctrines, whereby the Churches had been Troubled.

§. 21. The Churches now had Rest, and were Edified; and there were daily added unto the Churches, those that were to be Saved. Now, though the poor People were fed with the Bread of Adversity, and the Water of Affliction, yet they counted themselves abundantly compensated by This, That their Eyes might see such Teachers, as were now to be seen among them. The Faith and the Order in the Churches, was generally Glorious, whatever little Popular Confusions, might in some few Places, Eclipse the Glory. But the Warm Sun Shine will produce a Swarm of Insects; whilst matters were going on thus Prosperously, the Cunning and Malice of Satan, to break the Prosperity of the Churches, brought in a Generation of Hypocrites, who crept in unawares, turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness. A Company of Antinomian and Familistical Sectaries, were strangely crouded in among our more Orthodox Planters; by the Artifices of which busy Opinionists, there was a Dangerous Blow given, first unto the Faith, and so unto the Peace of the Churches. In the Storm thus Raised, it is Incredible, what Obloquy came to be cast upon Mr. Cotton, as if he had been the Patron of these Destroyers; meeirly because, they, willing to have a Great Person, in Admiratation, because of Advantage, falsely used the Name of this Great Person, by the Credit thereof to