N00594:218
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.
We give thanks to Mr. Dury, into whose heart it came to Remember, Joseph Separate from his Brethren at so great a Distance both by Sea and Land: and who hath vouchsafed with so comfortable a Message to visit us, poor People, clothed in Sackcloth, for our Warfare; yet, as we trust, the Sackcloth of the Gospel: who hath not refused to put New-England as part of the skirt of Aaron's Garment, upon which hath Descended some of the Precious Oil, into the Catalogue of the so much famed Agreement: And who hath by his Letter exhorting to such Agreement given us an Occasion to bring in this Testimony, such as it is, for our Brotherly Communion with the whole Company of Protestants professing the Faith of Christ Jesus. For we must Ingenuously confess, that then, when all Things were Quiet, and no Threatening Signs of War appeared, seeing we could not be permitted, by the Bishops, at that time prevailing, to perform the Office of ⟨p. 35⟩the Ministry in Public, nor yet to enjoy the Holy Ordinances, without Subscription and Conformity (as they were wont to speak) nor without the Mixture of Humane Inventions with Divine Institutions, we chose rather to Depart into the Remote, and unknown parts of the Earth, for the sake of a Purer▪ Worship, than to lie down under the Hierarchy in the Abundance of all Things, but with Prejudice of Conscience. But that in Flying from our Country, we should Renounce Communion with such Churches, as profess the Gospel, is a Thing, which we Confidently, and Solemnly Deny.
We give thanks to Mr. Dury, into whose heart it came to Remember, Joseph Separate from his Brethren at so great a Distance both by Sea and Land: and who hath vouchsafed with so comfortable a Message to visit us, poor People, cloathed in Sackcloth, for our Warfare; yet, as we trust, the Sackcloth of the Gospel: who hath not refused to put New-England as part of the skirt of Aarons Garment, upon which hath Descended some of the Precious Oyl, into the Catalogue of the so much famed Agreement: And who hath by his Letter exhorting to such Agreement given us an Occasion to bring in this Testimony, such as it is, for our Brotherly Communion with the whole Company of Protestants professing the Faith of Christ Jesus. For we must Ingenuously confess, that then, when all Things were Quiet, and no Threatning Signs of War appeared, seeing we could not be permitted, by the Bishops, at that time prevailing, to perform the Office of ⟨p. 35⟩