N00594:395
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.
John Higginson, One richly able himself to have been an Author of a not unlike Matter, Transcribed from his Manuscripts, near two Hundred of these Excellent Sermons, which were sent over into England, that they might be Published; but, by what means I know not, scarce half of them have seen the Light unto this Day. However, 'tis possible, the valuableness of those that are Published, may at some time or other awaken some Enquiries after the Unknown Hands wherein the rest, are as yet concealed.
§. 24. But this was not all the Service, which the Pen of Mr. Hooker, did for the Church of God! It was his Opinion, That there were Two great Reserves of Enquiry, for this Age of the World; the First, Wherein the Spiritual Rule of our Lord's Kingdom does Consist, and after what manner it is Internally Revealed, Managed, and Maintained in the Souls of his People? The Second, After what Order the Government of our Lord's Kingdom is to be Externally Managed and Maintained in his Churches? Accordingly, having done his part for Delivering the Former Subject from Pharisaical Formality, on ⟨p. 36⟩the one Hand, and from Familistical Enthusiasm on the other; he was by the solicitous Importunity of his Friends prevailed withal to Compose a Treatise on the Other Subject also. Upon this Occasion, he Wrote his Excellent Book. which is Entitled, A Survey of Church Discipline; wherein, having in the Name of the other Ministers in the Country, as well as his own, professed his Concurrence with Holy, and Learned, Mr. Rutherford, as to the Number and Nature of Church Officers; The Right of People to call their own Officers; The Unfitness of Scandalous Persons to be Members of a Visible Church; The Unwarrantableness of Separation from Churches for certain Defective Circumstances; The Lawfulness, yea, Needfulness, of a Consociation among Churches; and Calling in the Help of such Consociations, upon Emerging Difficulties; and the Power of such Consociations to proceed against a Particular Church, pertinaciously offending, with a Sentence of Non-Communion: He then proceeds to consider, a Church-Congregational completely constituted with all its Officers, as having full power in its self to Exercise all Church Discipline, in all the Censures thereof; and the Interest, which the Consent of the People is to have in the Exercise of this Discipline. The first fair and full Copy of this Book, was Drowned in its