Cotton, John (1640-1699) to Joseph Lord

charlestonne,
september, 14:1699:
Revd & my Deare Friend
your letters are indeed a refreshing to me in this Desert, I have [your] last 2 to answer knowing not till now of an opportunity since I received your First; I am glad you are something satisfyed about the possibilty of actuall faith in Infants; I allow the zeale of that superlatively eminent mr Rogers, but those that come after might see alitle farther, & I am sure the instance of John Baptist is infallible, but your opinion of the [text loss] I mentioned, I shall readily entertaine & muse upon. I did not say chh [church]-children were not be excommunicated, but I said, not with that formall censure, 1:cor:5:5 it seems to be the forme necessary to be attended in the cutting off members of the full communion, but chh [church]-seed not being invested with such high & full priveledges, I am fully satisfyed, that to[text loss] the censure upon them in such like words, [weeded?] in the Name of ct [christ] cutt [inserted: you] off from your interest in the covenant (i.e. visible) if you have rejected the Lord & his covenant by renouncing your Baptisme the visible scale of your interest therein, soe doth this his chh [church] [text loss] [illegible] & cast off you & declare you not to be a membership; Id [text loss] not but you will in your dealings with her (though she will scorne to come near you) mind her of Esau dep[text loss]ing his birthright; I doe not see the nature of the thing requires more then such an exclusion out of the chh [church], neither doe I thinke that [ruined] it said, let him be as a heathen & [text loss]nded that [text loss]ey in passing the censure[text loss] should say those very words, Let him be as a Hea[then] & Publ[icary]: but only cast him out, whereby he is infotacto met into such a state as obliges the chh [church] to carry to him as the Jewes did to Heathen & Publicary; it i[al], so to be minded that that in math 18. as well as cor:5: referres to a Brother in full communion; when you say the chh [church] hath taken them into that visible interest [text loss] which they (i:e:chh [church]-seed) have; I suppose your meaning is the chh [church] gave them the seale of their [2] visible interest in god, for I am well, [text loss]ot that the children [strikeout] of belevers [text loss], have their visible interest in god & his covenant before their Bap:yea though they dye without Bap: It is very rationall what you say, that upon their visibly casting God off, the chh [church] should pronounce them without such visible interest, & why may not those words or such like be enough without saying, wee deliver you up [strikeout] to Satan or make you as Heath & Publ: fewtea at per plura quotieri potet per pauciora [written in Latin] I heartily close with you in your desires that wee may [text loss]one in every thing in the Lord, Mr Screven hath bin very bad but recovering, I wish he had your letter, I am sure he can never answer it, I am pleased much with your Arimad version de Bernard, it is very true what I told you your letter to Madam Blake came not to me, but I hope Nath: Johnson sent it to her, many opportunities have bin this week thitherward I trust she will not dare to deny Bap: to her Negros, & I am glad you judge him qualifyed for such a priveledge: yours of Sep: 11: says true, she did tell me, she saw not what benefit etc if she did [text loss] would [text loss] her, my first reply was yours de Infants in [text loss] I confirmed from Rom:3:1:2:& cap: J: 4: fell yo[text loss]t other suggestions I heartily soder a truth, but her mater being there I d[ou]bt noe good will be done as yet: who are the Authors of yours trea[text loss] [text loss] heare of the dreadfull hand of God upon us by a deadly sicknesse, the death of 18 men & women in lesse then a fortnight in this to [text loss] of them yesterday) & though this letter come to your hand to morrow, yet I judge the number of our dead before that time, not be above 20: I wrote yester-morning to the Govr & requested him to call upon us to fast etc & in the eve Capt Bellingar (Whose [wife] [ text loss: b]rought him a daughter last week) told me, the Govr & Counsell [illegible] done when he was last in towne, & w[on]dered the, [text loss] [illegible] had neglected to issue out the orders for us; the death of poo[illegible] [text loss] Marshall is dreadfull, he preacht on the Sab: Upon Jonahs ga[illegible]rd & the next Sabbath, [text loss] (the time he was want to walke up the broad path after his worship was ended) wee accompanyed him to his grave, a great concourse of all sorts, [strikeout] but I am not ateare, but wanted much in his owne he[text loss]rey, his [inserted: nurse] maide a Negro or seemd to weep, I ca[text loss]ear a good word came from him in his [dryes] sicknesse, [inserted: strikeout] he said to the Dr, for [sav?]e, my life if you can, Lord awaken us to doe & speak for God [text loss] life [illegible] Expo[text loss] not about march [3] to doe as I w[text loss:i]shed be done by; Capt Tucker from 0 :E: sayes on June, 14: was a dreadful [inserted: fire] in Redrifte about London, 255 houses bernt & 9 ships, the fire was occasioned by a pitch - pot that fired a ship on the stocks & soe spread for about 24 houres, from 12 at noone till about that time next day; He sailed from 0:E: June, 19: was afortnight at Bermudas as he came along, where Randolph still lyes aclose prisoner; Capt Sanford came in last Sab: from N:York, & brought me 6 letters from N:E: one from my wife, the rest from others; I send you the commencement theses to peruse [text loss] where & then send them back againe; the Govr did come to Boston the week aftere the Election, Bro: Mather preacht on, 1: Sam:2:30: mi[text loss]le. Mr Willard Artil: Elec: on, He made the men of Israel men of war, Govr Present at both sermons, goes sometimes to Boston Lec[text loss] [illegible]rearing is at the Chappell, once he [illegible]at the French [text loss]h on a Sabbath: His speech to the Representatives & the five [illegible] Representatives speech, & that of the ministers of [text loss] : E: & that of the French ministers are all five printed & that [text loss] [text loss]ne by the first opportunity; all the change of counselors is [illegible] [strikeout] Major Bradford left out & Capt Byfeild [sic] in hi[illegible] major [strikeout] Converse is speaker; the Govr uses Mr Willard ofte[n] [text loss]ry in Councill & puts our Ministers to blesse the table when his [text loss] are by: The Gov in all respects carries it as a worthy Gentleman to b[text loss] great satisfaction of all good people, who thinke he will proove an excellent Govr, Amen: Mr White (the lady's Chaplain) Mr Eyres, capt Belcher & Mr Frarey are Repre: for Boston Mr Leverett for Cambridge, Mr. Rich: Saltonstall for Haverhill [inserted: Capt Basket for sandwich Nath. Thomas fore Plymouth [test loss] establishment none as yet. My letters were written about the middle of June [illegible] was at the Commencement, but because of raine & his gaut, all was [text loss] in the Colledge hall; my hearty salutations to you & yours, pray m[text loss] for me, I will for you & am, yours unfeignedly in in Christ Co[y?]: Cotton Mather hath [illegible] son
John Cotton

[inserted on the left margin of page 1: I expect you to pay me in specie, when you have the opportunity to send me newes from N: [E]: [New England?] I doe not meane in deeps I wish he had [illegible]]

[address leaf]
1699
to.
These
For the Revr: Mr Joseph Lord,
Pastoure of the church at
Dorchester, in South