N00766:40
The everlasting Gospel. The Gospel of justification by the righteousness of God; as 'tis…
The everlasting Gospel. The Gospel of justification by the righteousness of God; as 'tis held and preached in the churches of New-England: expressed in a brief discourse on that important article; made at Boston in the year, 1699. / By Cotton Mather. ; And, asserted with the attestations, of several Reverend and eminent persons, now most considerable in those churches.The everlasting Gospel. The Gospel of justification by the righteousness of God; as 'tis held and preach'd in the churches of New-England: expressed in a brief discourse on that important article; made at Boston in the year, 1699. / By Cotton Mather. ; And, asserted with the attestations, of several Reverend and eminent persons, now most considerable in those churches.
Boston: printed by B. Green for Nicholas Buttolph, 1700
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.
It is true indeed that in our first times and for some few years, the Peace of these Churches was disturbed by a Company of real Antinomians, who zealously crying up the free Grace of God, and the Righteousness of Christ for Justification; but grossly neglecting, slighting and vilifying the Graces and Duties of Sanctification, they made their folly appear unto all men, and their Religion quickly came to an end. For by their general removal out of this Colony to Road-Island (a place where they might every one do what was right in their own eyes) they showed themselves to be mere Libertines, and downright Worldlings: contenting themselves with the accommodations of a fruitful Island, they cast off the very Form of Religion; they and their Posterity (for the generality of them) living about these threescore years past, without any Churches, Ministers, Ordinances, or keeping of the Lords Day, only professing Liberty of Conscience at large, that men might there be of any Religion or no Religion, as they would themselves: this is notoriously known to all New-England. So dreadfully dangerous it is to turn the Grace of God into Wantonness, and to pervert the Doctrine of Justification.
It is true indeed that in our first times and for some few years, the Peace of these Churches was disturbed by a Company of real Antinomians, who zealously crying up the free Grace of God, and the Righteousness of Christ for Justification; but grossly neglecting, slighting and vilifying the Graces and Duties of Sanctification, they made their folly appear unto all men, and their Religion quickly came to an end. For by their general removal out of this Colony to Road-Island (a place where they might every one do what was right in their own eyes) they shewed themselves to be meer Libertines, and downright Worldlings: contenting themselves with the accommodations of a fruitful Island, they cast off the very Form of Religion; they and their Posterity (for the generality of them) living about these threescore years past, without any Churches, Ministers, Ordinances, or keeping of the Lords Day, only professing Liberty of Conscience at large, that men might there be of any Religion or no Religion, as they would themselves: this is notoriously known to all New-England. So dreadfully dangerous it is to turn the Grace of God into Wantonness, and to pervert the Doctrine of Justification.