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 10^th Contradiction is thus held forth.

10. Pastour and Flocke are Relates: and so he is a Pastour to none but his owne Congrega∣tion. This is the Common Tenent.

10. The mem∣bers of any Church we Adm••t t•• the Lords Table (if they bring letters testi∣moniall.) and their Children to Bap∣tisme. The Way p. 68. The Keyes, p. 17.

10. Admini∣stration of Sacra∣ments is a Ministe∣riall Act: and what Authority hath a Pa∣stour to do it, or they to Receive it from him to whom he is no Pastour? Mr. Hocker Surv. Part. 2. 64, 65. Pastours and Teachers might Pray and Preach in other Churches besides their owne: but not Administer seales and Censures. Bartlets Modell pag. 63.

Answer 1. That Appearance of Con∣tradiction is easily Removed, if our Do∣ctrine and Practise be knowne, as it is, what a Pastour doeth in his owne Con∣gregation, and to his owne Flock, he doeth it by Pastorall Power, and Au∣thority,

what he doth to the members of other Churches, abroad, or out of his own Congregation, He doeth it not Authoritativè, but Precariò, and not in a constant, but in a transient way: which the communion of Churches doth not only Admit, but readily (as occa∣sion serveth) Desire. What M^r Hooker doubted of in this Point, he Answereth himselfe in the end of the same Pag. 65.

If Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, things present and things to come, be all Given to the Particular Church of Corinth (1 Cor. 3. 22.) who yet had no pecu∣liar Interest in them more then other Churches. By the same Right all the officers, and all their Gifts are theirs al∣so, in the same way. Theirs they are not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, (for each Church hath his peculiar offices, as their owne proprie∣ty): Then they are theirs 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for their use, not Authoritatively, nor Or∣dinarily, but occasionally, as God gi∣veth opportunity; Ordinarily as the Officers must attend to their owne Flock, so must the Flock Depend upon their

owne Officers. The officers have no Au∣thority over any Flock, but that which the Holy Ghost hath committed to them: Neither can any other Flock command the employment of any of their Gifts, or any act of their office a∣mongst them. But upon occasion, in a transient way, as they may have need of their Gifts, so they may have need of some Act of their Office, and accord∣ingly may Desire it, and Receive it.