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

§. 29. He was One so Clothed with Humility, that according to the Emphasis of the Apostolical Direction, by this Livery his Relation as a Disciple to the Lowly Jesus, was notably discovered; and hence he was Patient and Peaceable, even to a Proverb. He had a more than Common Excellency in that Cool Spirit, which the Oracles of Wisdom describe as, The Excellent Spirit in the Man of Understanding; and therefore Mr. Norton would parallel him, with Moses among the Patriarchs, with Melanchthon among the Reformers. He was rather Excessive, than Defective in Self-Denial, and had the Nimia Humilitas, which Luther sometimes blamed in Staupicius: yea, he was, at last, himself sensible that some fell very Deep into the Sin of Corah, through his Extreme Forbearance, in matters relating to his own Just Rights in the Church of God. He has, to a Judicious Friend, thus expressed himself, Angry men have an Advantage above me; the People dare not set themselves against such men, because they know, it wont be born; but ⟨p. 59⟩some care not what they say or do about me, because they know I went be angry with them again. One would have thought the Ingenuity of such a Spirit should have broke the Hearts of Men, that had indeed, the Hearts of Men in them; yea, that the hardest Flints would have been broken, as is usual, upon such a Soft Bag of Cotton! But, alas! he found it otherwise, even among Some, who pretended unto High Attainments in Christianity. Once particularly, an Humorous and Imperious Brother, following Mr. Cotton home to his House, after his Public Labours, instead of the Grateful Respects with which these Holy Labours, were to have been encouraged, Rudely told him, that his Ministry was become Generally, either Dark, or Flat: whereto this Meek man, very mildly and gravely, made only this Answer, B••th, Brother, it may be, both; Let me have your Prayers that it may be otherwise! But it is Remarkable, that the Man Sick thus, of Wanton Singularities, afterwards Dyed of those Damnable Heresies, for which he was deservedly Excommunicated Another time, when Mr. Cotton had modestly Replied unto one that would much Talk and Crack of his Insight into the Revelations; Brother I must confess my self to want Light in those Mysteries the man went home, and sent him A Pound […] Candles; upon which Action, this Good Ma• bestowed only a Silent Smile;

§. 29. He was One so Clothed with Humility, that according to the Emphasis of the Apostolical Direction, by this Livery his Relation as a Disciple to the Lowly Jesus, was notably discovered; and hence he was Patient and Peaceable, even to a Proverb. He had a more than Common Excellency in that Cool Spirit, which the Oracles of Wisdom describe as, The Excellent Spirit in the Man of Understanding; and therefore Mr. Norton would parallel him, with Moses among the Patriarchs, with Melancthon among the Reformers. He was rather Excessive, than Defective in Self-Denial, and had the Nimia Humilitas, which Luther sometimes blamed in Staupicius: yea, he was, at last, himself sensible that some fell very Deep into the Sin of Corah, through his Extreme Forbearance, in matters relating to his own Just Rights in the Church of God. He has, to a Judicious Friend, thus expressed himself, Angry men have an Advantage above me; the People dare not set themselves against such men, because they know, it wont be born; but