A defence of Mr. John Cotton from the imputation of selfe contradiction, charged on him by Mr. Dan. Cavvdrey written by himselfe not long before his death ; whereunto is prefixed, an answer to a late treatise of the said Mr. Cavvdrey about the nature of schisme, by John Owen ...

The seaventh Contradiction is thus gathered.

7. It was a Sacrilegious Breach of Order, That Com∣missaries and Chancellours wanting the Key of Order (no Ministers) have been invested with Jurisdiction. Yea and more then Ministe∣riall Authority, above those Elders, who labour in word and Doctrine. The Keyes pag. 16.

7. There is a Key of Pow∣er given to the Church (with the Elders) as to open a doore of entrance to the Mi∣nisters calling, so to shut the doore of entrance against them in some cases &c. The Keyes p. 9. Yea to Censure all their Elders (without Elders) The Way p. 45. as before.

Ans. The power given to the Com∣missaries Chancellors &: I justly called a Sacrlegious Breach of Order in more Re∣spects than one.

1. In that being no Ministers, they exercised more than Ministeriall Autho∣rity over the Elders. For Ministers doe not exercise Authority over Elders, no nor over any Brother, but with consent of the Church. But these doe it with∣out, and against the Consent of the Church.

2. In that they exercise this Autho∣rity even in Churches wherein they have not Received the key of Order, and so stand not so much as in the Order of Members amngst them.

3. In that they proceed against them, not for crimes committed against the word of God, but for Neglect of Po∣pish-Canons or Humane Traditions.

But now no Authority allowed to Brethren either in the Keyes or in the Way, cometh neere to this Breach of Order.

For 1. In Joyning with the Elders

to open a doore of entrance to Mi∣nister's calling, They put forth no Act of Authority (properly so called) at all: but only exercise a liberty and Power orderly which they have Recei∣ved from the Lord Jesus, to elect their own officers, As the Peoples election of Deacons (Act. 6. 2. to 5^th.) And their lifting up of hands in the choice of Elders (Act. 14. 23.) doth declare. And when they doe shut them forth it is not without their Elders, where their Elders are not wanting, or not wanting to their Duty. And even then, they put forth no Act of Office Rule, or Au∣thority (properly so called) as the Commissaries doe, but only an Act of Judiciall Power common to the whole Church, 1 Cor. 5. 12.

2. The People do exercise this Pow∣er only in their own Church where themselves are members, and have Re∣ceived a key of Order.

3. They proceed not against any, much lesse against their Elders, but for notorious offences, committed against

the word of God, in Doctrine or life, so that this Contradiction speaketh as lit∣tle ad idem as any of the former.