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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50206	The first principles of New-England concerning the subject of baptisme & communion of churches : collected partly out of the printed books, but chiefly out of the original manuscripts of the first and chiefe fathers in the New-English churches : with the judgment of sundry learned divines of the congregational way in England, concerning the said questions : published for the benefit of those who are of the rising generation in New-England / by Increase Mather ...	Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.; Mitchel, Jonathan, 1624-1668.	1675 (1675)	Wing M1211; ESTC W35680	45,581	56

for the helping the Church against Errors Schismes and Scandals 3dly That these Synods may by the Power they have from Christ admonish men or Churches in his Name when they see evils Continuing in or growing upon the Church and their Admonitions carry with them the Authority of Jesus Christ 4ly As there shall be cause they may declare men or Churches to be Subverters of the Faith or otherwise according to the nature of the offence to shame them before all the Churches about them 5ly They may by a Solemn act in the Name of Jesus Christ refuse any further Communion with them till they repent 6ly They may declare also in the Name of Christ that these erring people or Churches are not to be received into Fellowship with any of the Churches of Christ nor to have Communion with one another in the Ordinances of Christ You will say what if they care not for all this Answ That is as if you should say what if they be not Conscientious what if nothing can prevail with Conscience if you say private Brethren may admonish and declare in the Name of Christ This is more then if any private Brethren should do the same thing For a Synod is a Solemn Ordinance of Christ and the Elders are to be looked upon as the Officers of Jesus Christ And again pag. 47. he ha's these words If it shall be said But surely they do not agree so farr they do not come up to these six things mentioned To that I Answer I do not in these deliver only mine own Judgement but by what I know of the Judgements of all those Brethren with whom I have occasion to Converse by Conference both before and since I stand Charged to make it good to be their Judgements also yea it hath been theirs and mine for divers years even then when we never thought to have enjoyed our own Land again And if it be so then let the Lord be Judge between us and our Brethren for those loud and grievous out-Cries there ha's been against us in this thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 POSTSCRIPT SInce the Composure of this Collection of Testimonies it hath pleased the Lord to take unto himself another of our Antient Studs viz. worthy and Reverend Mr. Allin of Dedham whose Apprehensions touching the Controverted Questions is sufficiently known Likewise not many weeks before his death he read this Script and expressed his judgement thereon in words following Reverend and dear Brother I salute you in the Lord. I humbly bless God for your fruitful Labours in this your Collection and in other matters performed by you concerning which in general I think it is worthy serious Consultation amongst your Friends whether it be not a Season to publish the same 1. We see the work of Christ touching the Church Seed is laid asleep this might awaken our drowsiness we see also the great disorders in Churches for want of seasonable help from Neighbouring Churches and by Reason of the rejection of Counsel without convincing their Sentence of error 2 dly We see how our present doctrine is rejected as a Novel Innovation differing from first and primitive Principles 3. Who knoweth how farr God may bless this Treatise to the recovery of some if not many from their Erroneous Opinions about these Truths I Conceive also some serious Exhortation to cleave to these first wayes of Christ in New England might be seasonably added I Rest Yours in our Lord Iohn Allin A Letter concerning the Subject of Baptisme written by that eminent Minister of Christ Mr Ionathan Mitchel late Pastor of the Church in Cambridg in New England Reverend and dear Sir I have deliberately read over Mr. D● Essay and Epistle to the Reader which I now return to you with thanks for the Loan of it If I should say I see not matter of Conviction in it his Answer is already given me pag. 35 If men shut their eyes when the light is held out to them they may truly say they see not or in pag. 6. they that Enquire of God with an Idol in their hearts shall be paenally answered by being left to their own Counsels c. we had need Labour to approve our selves to God when we meet with such sharp Censures from men But the R. A. can hardly expect we should find Conviction here seeing he builds all upon this distinction of Immediate and mediate membership which with the Consectaries He deduceth from it is the prora puppis of his whole discourse and for the proof of the distinction himself in pag. 34 35. refers the Reader to his former Essays neither have I observed much more in this writing toward the proof of it then we have had before And therefore if we did not see it as by him explained and Improved to be evident before it is not strange if we do not see it now If it must be imputed to our blindness yea wilful and paenal blindness that we see it not we must be Content to bear it as we may Also when he affirms over and over pag. 75 83 92 103 131 145 152. that we our selves Confess the Parents in Question have not Faith or are not visible Believers the Contrary whereunto we have plainly asserted And how many times over does he say it we call them meer members which we have disclaimed and do not so call them but members not in full Communion yea he sayes in pag. 49. we grant that the persons in Question are not to be accounted Church members c. How should we receive Conviction from such discourses If his meaning be by so often reflecting on our meer members as he calls them to deny that distinction of members into such as are in full Communion and such as are not in full Communion that would seem strange for how can that be denyed by any Pad●baptists and he seems to approve it in pag. 35. yea he seems sometimes to grant that some when Adult do Continue in the Church and Covenant who yet are not admitted to full Communion pag. 76. 99 yet he calls for a Rule for two such sorts of Adult members pag. 73. But I shall not enter into discourse of particulars nor am I fit to be an Answerer it is casie to observe a greater sharpness in his Expressions to me then else where in this Book I hope I shall Consider as I am able what I find in this or other discourses about the matter in Controversy c. and if I be convinced of Error I shall not be ashamed to own it but if there be no way to Issue the Controversy but by such voluminous writings and if every passage be not spoken to he counts himself neglected or unanswered And that which he hath before said stands still firm and good as to that purpose he speaks in this Book above twenty times I have little hope to see an Issue of it nor can I see any likely way for an Issue unless we can meet

that Assembly in his Catechisme concerning Church discipline pag. 224 226 227. thus expresses his Judgement Churches being gathered and setled according to the mind of Christ ought to preserve a mutual holy Communion amongst themselves and to exercise it in the discharge of those duties whereby their mutual good and Edification may be promoted In desiring or making use of the Counsel and advice of one another in such Cases of doubt and difficulty whether Doctrinal or practical as may arise in any of them Acts 15.2 6. And from hence it follows that in Case any Church either by error in Doctrine or praecipitation or mistake in other Administrations do give offence unto other Churches those other Churches may require an account from them admonish them of their faults and withhold Communion from them in Case they persist in the error of their way and that because in their difficulties and before their miscarriages they were bound to have desired the advice Counsel and Assistance of those other Churches which being neglected by them the other are to recover the end of it unto their utmost ability Gal 2.6 11. And hence also it follows that those that are rightly and justly Censured in any Church ought to be rejected by all Churches what ever both because of their mutual Communion and because it is and ought to be presumed until the contrary be made to appear that in Case there had been any difficulty or doubt in the proceedure of the Church they would have taken the advice of those Churches with whom they were obliged to Consult Thus far Doctor Owen Likewise Doctor Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye in that worthy Epistle which they have prefixed before Mr. Cottons book of the Keyes in which Epistle the Congregational way is truly stated and asserted as it differs from both the extreams viz. from Presbyterianisme on the one and Brownisme on the other hand do declare their Concurrence with him in acknowledging that an Association or Communion of Churches sending their Elders and Messengers into a Synod is an Ordinance of Christ unto whom Christ hath in Relation to rectifying male Administrations and healing Dissentions in particular Congregations and the like Cases committed a due and just measure of power suited and proportioned to those Ends and furnished them not only with ability to give Counsel and Advice but further upon such like occasions with Ministerial power and Authority to determine declare and injoyne such things as may tend to the reducing Congregations to right order and Peace see pag. 4. 6 7 10. Moreover that the practice of Congregationals ha's been according to this Profession may be seen in the Apologetical Narration published by Doctor Goodwin Mr. Philip Nye Mr. Sydrach Simpson Mr. Burroughs and Mr. Bridg. In as much as those famous Apologists as Paul speaks concerning Iames Cephas and Iohn amongst the Apostles seem to be Pillars and worthily are they so accounted amongst Congregationals Since also that Apologetical Narration though printed is in the hands of but few with us we shall therefore here transcribe and insert some pages of it And therein they thus declare see pag. 15. to pag. 22. And whereas say they the Common prejudice and exception laid into all mens thoughts against us and our opinions is that in such Congregational Government thus entire within it self there is not allowed sufficient remedy for miscarriages though never so gross no relief for wrongful Sentences or persons injured thereby no room for Complaints no powerful or effectual means to reduce a Church or Churches that fall into Heresie Schisme c. but every one is left and may take Liberty without controul to do what is good in their own eyes we have through the good Providence of God upon us from the avowed declarations of our Judgements among our Churches mutually during our Exile and that also confirmed by the most solemn Instance of our practice wherewith to vindicate our selves and way in this particular which upon no other occasion we should ever have made thus publick God so ordered it that a Scandal and offence fell out between those very Churches whilst living in this Banishment whereof we our selves that write these things were then the Ministers one of our Churches having unhappily deposed one of their Ministers the others judged it not only too suddain an act having proceeded in a matter of so great moment without consuiting their S●ster Churches as was publickly professed we should have done in such Cases of concernment but also in the proceedings thereof as too severe and not managed according to the Rules laid down in the Word In this Case our Churches did mutually acknowledge and submit to this as a Sacred and undoubted Principle and Supream Law to be observed amongst all Churches that as by virtue of the Apostolical Command Churches as well as particular men are bound to give no offence neither to Iew nor Gentile nor the Churches of God they live amongst So that in all Cases such offence or differences by the Obligation of the Common Law of Communion of Churches and for the Vindication of the glory of Christ which in Common they hold forth the Church or Churches challenged to offend or differ are to submit themselves upon the Challenge of the offence or Complaint of the person wronged to the most full and open tryal and examination by other Neighbour Churches offended thereat of what ever ha's given the offence And further that by virtue of the same and like Law of not partaking of other mens sin the Church offended may and ought upon the Impenitency of those Churches persisting in their Errors and miscarriage to pronounce that heavy Sentence against them of withdrawing and Renouncing all Christian Communion with them until they do repent and further to declare and protest this with the Causes thereof to all other Churches of Christ that they may do the like And what further Authority or proceedings purely Ecclesiastical of one or many Churches towards another whole Church or Churches offending either the Scriptures do hold forth or can rationally be put in Execution without the Magistrates interposing a power or another nature unto which we upon his particular Cognizance and Examination of such Causes profess ever to submit and also to be most willing to have recourse unto for our parts we saw not then nor do yet see And likewise we did then Suppose and do yet that this Principle of Submission of Churches that miscarry unto other Churches offended together with this other that it is a Command from Christ enjoyned to Churches that are finally offended to denounce such a Sentence of non Communion and withdrawing from them whilst Impenitent as unworthy to hold forth the Name of Christ these Principles being received and generally acknowledged by the Churches of Christ to be a mutual duty as strictly enjoyned them by Christ as any other that these would be as effectual means through the blessing of Christ to awe