N01347:5
A sermon preached by the Reverend, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church…
A sermon preached by the Reverend, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church in Boston in New-England. Delivered at Salem, 1636. : To which is prefixed, a retraction of his former opinion concerning baptism, uttered by him immediately preceding the sermon emitted. He dyed on the 23. day of December, 1652. Entering [sic] on the 68 year of his age. : [Seven lines from I Corinthians]A sermon preached by the Reverend, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church in Boston in New-England. Deliver'd at Salem, 1636. : To which is prefixed, a retraction of his former opinion concerning baptism, utter'd by him immediately preceeding the sermon emitted. He dyed on the 23. day of December, 1652. Entring [sic] on the 68 year of his age. : [Seven lines from I Corithians]
Boston: : s.n., Printed in the year, 1713
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.
By the Reverend, Old Mr. JOHN COTTON, At Salem, June, 1636.
Having been moved by your Reverend Elders, and some Others, to Speak a Word of Instruction and Exhortation; I thought it meet to begin with some word of Confession.
HAving been moved by your Reverend Elders, and some Others, to Speak a Word of Instruction and Exhortation; I thought it meet to begin with some word of Confession.
At the first coming over of some of our Honoured Magistrates, it so fell out, That they did Arrive at this Congregation, the Sacrament being near to be Administered, and a Child being Born to one of them; they themselves could neither be admitted to the Lord's Table, nor their Child to Baptism: When I my self heard of this, I Wrote unto the Pastor of this Congregation (now Deceased) doubting of the Lawfulness of that practise; Thinking then, That the Faithful and Godly Men coming where the Seals ⟨p. 2⟩were to be dispensed, and having right unto the Covenant, had right also unto the Seals thereof, and so that their Children had right unto the former Seal of Baptism Something I wrote to that purpose, as I conceived, then requisite. It pleased God that he sent me a large and loving Answer; but through the extremity of Sickness then upon me, I could not Read it; and after-wards being shuffled among other Papers, I could never find it to this very day: But what might have been for Instruction to me from his Letters, the Lord hath since showed unto me by diligent search of the Scriptures.