John Cotton

[VirginiaHuguenot]

John Cotton, British/American Puritan Congregationalist, was born on December 4, 1585 and died on December 23, 1652.

[Edited on 12-3-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[PresReformed]

He wrote a great treatise on psalmody too

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[Peter]

Here's a good speech by Iain Murray on Cotton and the assurance controversy in New England.

 

[Peter]

Is "The Way of Churches of Christ in New England" a reply to Baillie and an attack on Presbytery?

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Is "The Way of Churches of Christ in New England" a reply to Baillie and an attack on Presbytery?

I don't know if it was a reply to Baillie but Cotton's treatise was answered by Rutherford in The Due Right of Presbyteries.

 

[Peter]

thanks.

I think I heard some place NE congregationalism was much closer to prebyterianism then contemporary congregationalism anyway. Any one else hear that?

 

[Irishcat922]

Anne Hutchison's pastor, that is until she said she was recieving direct revelation from God.

 

[Peter]

Yep. If you're interested see the link above to the speech by Iain Murray. I wasn't aware she claimed direct revelation though. Hutchison was a virtual antinomian and claimed the only thing necessary for complete assurance was an immediate witness of the Spirit and anyone who lacked it wasn't saved. She and liberal scholars claim that this was the teaching of Cotton. Murray defends the view that while Cotton placed the primary emphasis of assurance on faith in Jesus Christ, his teaching was not inconsistent with the other NE ministers or a place for secondary reflexive assurance.

 

[PresReformed]

thanks.

I think I heard some place NE congregationalism was much closer to prebyterianism then contemporary congregationalism anyway. Any one else hear that?

This is true. The session and the congregation decided matters. In fact, Edwards congregation in Northampton was part of an association of churches that operated much like a presbytery.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Quinta Press is working to publish the complete works of John Cotton:

The Complete Works of John Cotton

Various works are at the editing stage including The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared, A Treatise on the Covenant of Grace, Christ the Fountain of Life, Ecclesiastes and Canticles, and his Commentary on 1 John. Some of these will be published in an updated English version. An updated English version of The Covenant of Grace in which Cotton deals with the subject of conversion and assurance has been sent to the Banner of Truth Trust who will hopefully publish it.