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A71036 Sixteene questions of seriovs and necessary consequence, propounded unto Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New England together with his answer to each question. Cotton, John, 1584-1652. 1644 (1644) Wing S3928; ESTC R17699 8,425 18

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Sixteene QUESTIONS OF SERIOVS AND Necessary Consequence Propounded unto Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New-England TOGETHER WITH HIS ANSWERS to each Question Printed according to Order LONDON Printed by E. P. for Edward Blackmore at the signe of the Angel in Pauls Church-yard 1644. Deare and Reverend Sir WEE doe humbly and carnestly desire a short and plaine Answer of those Questions under-written and at the hand of you those things we desire your speedy Answer unto and though some of these wee know your judgement in yet not for our selves onely but for others sakes we put them all in Reverend and beloved Brethren FOr an Answer unto your Interrogatories shall I call them or Questions Though I might without Sinne referre you as our Saviour did the High-Priest when his Doctrine was questioned to what I have ever taught and spoken openly to the world as having in secret said nothing else Iohn 18.20.21 Yet because you are much more deare and precious to me than the High-Priest was to him and because Love thinkes no Evill and Truth feareth not the Light I have by the helpe of Christ sent you according to your Desire a plaine and short Answer to each particular wherein if I erre let me see mine Error and try if I shut mine Eyes against the Light If in your judgement I hold forth the Truth then beare witnesse with me to the Truth for the Honour of the Name of Christ and for the Peace and salvation of the Churches in our Lord Jesus your Lord and ours CERTAIN QUESTIONS Propounded by sundry of the teaching Elders in the Bay to Mr. Iohn Cotton Teacher in the Church of Boston Quest 1. WHat the seale of the Spirit is 2. Whether every Beleever be sealed with it 3. What ground from the Word of that distinction a Broad Seale and the other seale and the differences between them 4. Whether a man may or ought to see any saving work of Christ in himself and take comfort from it before he be sealed by the Spirit 5. Whether the Testimony or Seale of the Spirit be so clear as witnesse immediately by it selfe without respect of any Work of Christ in a man or so constant that it being once obtained a man doth never after question his Estate 6. Whether a Christian may maintain like constant comfort in his Soule when he hath fallen into some grosse Sinne or neglected some knowne Duty as when he walked most closely wit● God 7. Whether a weak Beleever may not warrantably apply some Promise to himself as given him by God although he doth not yet discern his interest in it by the Broad Seale of the Spirit Whether a Christian must of Necessity have his first Assurance from an absolute and not from a Conditionall Promise 9. What you mean by Christian Sanctification whether immediate Acting of the Spirit or infused Habits if Habits infused whether such as are contrary to corrupt Nature and all vicious Habits and if so whether you must not mean the Image of God in Adam renewed in us to be our Sanctification 10. Whether this Sanctification being discerned by us be not a true Evidence of Justification 11. Whether this Sanctification being discerned may not be and often is a Ground of Primitive Comfort as it is an Evidence of our being in Christ 12. Whether when my Justification lyeth prostrate I may not prove my self in a state of Grace by my Sanctification 13. Whether evidencing Justification by Sanctification be a building my Justification on my Sanctification or a going on in a Covenant of Works 14. Whether a Christian be not further active after Regeneration then before if there be a difference wherein it lyeth 15. Whether it be not a safe way to conclude my safe Estate by my Practicall Reasoning 16. Whether a Christian may not presse the Lord for Spirituall Mercies with Arguments drawn from the Graces of Christ himselfe Now follow the Answers Quest 1. WHat the Seale of the Spirit is Answer The Seale of the Spirit is taken by some good Divines to be the Sanctification of the Spirit as that which like a Seale 1. Distinguisheth the faithfull 2. Consenteth the faithfull 3. Confirmeth the faithfull Others take it for the Witnesse of the Spirit it selfe as it is distinguished from out Spirit Rom. 8.16 In which sense it is commonly used by our Brethren in the Church Though I my selfe doe generally forbeare to call it by that Name and doe not usually call it the Witnesse of the Spirit least I might give offence to any who may conceive the Seale of the Spirit to be more generall Quest II. Whether every Beleever be sealed with it Answer Every Beleever is not sealed with the Seale of the Spirit if the Seale be taken for the Witnesse of the Spirit it selfe but in the former sense all Beleevers be sealed with it Quest 3. What Ground from the Word of that Distinction a Broad Seale and the other Seale and the differences betweene them Answer I know no such Distinction betweene the Broad Seale and the other Seale Nor was that Distinction propounded by any of our Members but by one of your selves who expressing his Conception in that Speech one of our Members answered him according to his meaning in his own word if you call it so saith he Neverthelesse thus much may truely be said There is a difference betweene the Witnesse of the Spirit as it regenerateth and reneweth our Spirits and the Witnesse of the Spirit as it comforteth us with evident Assurance of our Adoption Rom. 8.16 Quest IV. Whether a man may or ought to see any saving Worke of Christ in himselfe and take Comfort from it before he be sealed by the Spirit Answer A true Beleever may and ought to see if it be declared to him in the use of the means any Worke of Christ in himselfe that accompanieth Salvation as Cornelius did before he be sealed with the Witnesse of the Spirit it selfe yet full setled Comfort he cannot take nor rest in till it be witnessed unto him by the Spirit for Comfort without the Word is false Comfort and neither Word nor Spirit doe teach us to take any Comfort so much from the Worke of Christ in us as from the Object of it Quest V. Whether the testimony or Seal of the Spirit be so clear as to witnesse immediately by it self without respect of any work of Christ in a Manor so constant that it being once obtained a man doth never after question his Estate Answer The Testimony of the Spirit is so cleare as that it may witnesse immediately though not without some worke of Christ in a man yet without respect unto the Worke Neverthelesse it is not so constant or permanent at least not in all Beleevers but that a man after he hath received it may come in time of Temptation to question his Estate though not so frequently nor so desperately as before Quest VI. Whether a Christian may maintaine like constant Comfort in