A defence of Mr. John Cotton from the imputation of selfe contradiction, charged on him by Mr. Dan Cawdrey
By: written by himselfe not long before his death. Whereunto is prefixed, an answer to a late treatise of the said Mr. Cawdrey about the nature of schisme. by John Owen: D:D: ...
Publisher: Printed by H. Hall; for T. Robinson
Published: 1658
Place of publication: Oxford
Language: eng
Number of pages: 100
Subjects: Congregationalism
Notes: First edition.

Signatures: a-f⁸, g², B-F⁸, G².

Pages 10-11, 14-15, 2d group of paging, incorrectly numbered 14-15, 10-11, respectively.

Cawdry first attacked Cotton in 1645, in a work entitled "Vindiciae clavium ... being some animadversions upon a tract by J.C., called 'The keys of the kingdom of Heaven'; also upon another tract of his called 'The way of the churches of New England'." Cotton answered in "The way of Congregationall churches cleared," 1648. Cawdry then published "The inconsistencie of the Independent way ... Manifested in a three-fold discourse, I. Vindiciae vindiciarum, with M. Cotton," etc., 1651. Cotton's "Defence" is a reply to the charges against him in the last named work.

The history of the controversy between Cawdry and Owen is as follows: Owen's work "Of schism" appeared in 1657, and was immediately answered by Cawdry in "Independencie, a great schism proved against Dr. Owen's apology." Owen rejoined in "A review of the true nature of schism," whereupon Cawdry published "Independency further proved to be a schism; or, A survey of Dr. Owen's Review of his tract on schism," 1658. This was the "late treatise" to which the preface of the present work is a reply.

Cf. Madan, Falconer. Oxford books. Oxford, 1895-1931. v.3, p.86, no.2403.