Mr. Cottons letter lately printed, examined and ansvvered: by Roger Williams of Providence in New·England.:
About this Item
- Title
- Mr. Cottons letter lately printed, examined and ansvvered: by Roger Williams of Providence in New·England.:
- Author
- Williams, Roger, 1604?-1683.
- Publication
- London :: [s.n.],
- Imprinted in the yeere 1644.
- Rights/Permissions
-
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- Subject terms
- Freedom of religion
- Cotton, John, -- 1584-1652.
- Williams, Roger, -- 1604?-1683.
- Cite this Item
-
"Mr. Cottons letter lately printed, examined and ansvvered: by Roger Williams of Providence in New·England.:." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A96614.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 1, 2024.
Pages
Page 41
Ans. I will not question the uprightnes of some, who have gone back from many truths of God which they have pro∣fessed: yet mine own experience of 4 sorts who have back-sliden, I shall report, for a warning to all into whose hands these may come to be like Antipas (Revel. 2.) a faithfull witnesse to the death, to any of the truths of the Lord Jesus, which he shall please to be trust them with:
First I have known no small number of such torn to abso∣lute Familisme, and under their pretences of great raptures of Love deny all obedience to, or seeking after the pure Ordinan∣ces and appointments of the Lord Jesus.
Secondly, others have laid the raines upon the necks of their consciences, and like the Dog lickt up their vomit of former loosnes and prophanes of lip and life; and have been so farre from growing in grace, that they have turned the grace of God into wantonnes.
Thirdly, others backsliding have lost the beautie and shi∣ning of a t••nder conscience toward God, and of a mercifull compassion toward men, becomming most fierce persecutors of their own formerly fellow witnesses, and of any other who have differd in conscience from them.
Lastly, others although preserved from Familisme, propha∣nes and persecuting of others, yet the leafe of their Christian course hath withered, the later beautie and savour of their holines hath not been like their former; and they have confest & do, their sin, their weaknes, their bondage, and wish they were at liberty in their former freedom: and some have gone with little peace, but sorrow to their graves, confessing to my selfe and others, that God never prospered them in soule or body, since they sold away his truth, which once they had bought and made pro∣fession of it never to sell it.
Notes
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M. Cotton,
-
••oure sorts of back-sliders from Separa∣tion far from growth in grace.
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Some back-sliding turn to Familisme.
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Some to pro∣phanesse.
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Some to per∣secuting of o∣thers.
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Some t•• lan∣guishing in sorrow and sadnesse, &c.