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church_n	bind_v	earth_n	loose_v	5,255	5	10.5190	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58837	A narrative of the planting of the Massachusetts Colony anno 1628 with the Lords signal presence the first thirty years : also a caution from New-Englands apostle, the great Cotton, how to escape the calamity which might befall them or their posterity, and confirmed by the evangelist Norton, with prognosticks from the famous Dr. Owen concerning the fate of these churches, and animadversions upon the anger of God in sending of evil angels among us / published by Old Planters, the authors of the Old mens tears.	Scottow, Joshua, 1618-1698.	1694 (1694)	Wing S2099; ESTC R33724	39,314	86

before God before Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that he should observe those things namely the Canons he had before appointed about Church Order and Officers that he should mind those things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiallity there must be no partial dealing no preferment of one Commandment of Christ before another Deacons must not be kept in place with rejection of the Elders that Ruled well nor others debarr'd of their double Honour especially those who laboured in the Word and Doctrine and the Holy All-wise God knowing that the Churches would Apostatize and that Antichrist whose Mystery of Iniquity then wrought would in special manner run encounter to Scripture Purity and pollute the Sanctuary Streams of Church O●dinances and Officers especially Ruling Elde●● because of their pragmaticalness with the Te●ching Elders about Church Rule he jumble● and made one Officer of Teaching and Rulin● Elders prudentially to av●id Seism and calle● hem both Presbyters or Priests mean whil● he courted and carressed the Deacons who● he distinguished some he called Sub-Deacon● to attend the Vestry to help on the Surplic● and h●ly Garments of the Priests or Presbyters others he advanced to hear Auricular Confess●ons and say Mass but prudently considerin● that the Care and Trust of the Church Stoc● and Treasury was committed unto them e●pecially when i● was augmented with that ca●led Constantines Gift concerning which History tells us of a voice heard in the Heavens Hodie venerum effunditur c. This day poyson i● powred into the Churches That Man of Sin fore seeing how useful Deacons might be to hi● Clergy he advanced the Gravest of them to be Arch Deacons and to be of the number o● Cardinals so called because they are the Cardines Hooks or Hindges that the Scarlet Whore● Chair or Seat hangs on This cursed Conclave are the only Elected and Electors of the Pope their work on High Festivals is to Vest their Pontifex Maximus in his Pontificalibus of Purple and Scarlet decked with Jewels and Gold vastly exceeding all Imperial State and the Splendor of Jaddu● the 〈…〉 to Alenander to confirm him in his Con●est of the World Whilst at the High Altar ●e is Offering up the Blasphemous Sacrifice ●●ese Arch-Deacons attend upon him as other ●eacons at the Lords Supper Let the Candid ●eader pass by this digression designed to shew what a fine Thred this Mystery of Iniquity at ●irst spun but now the Son of Perdition Sits ●s God in the Temple of God whom Christ will destroy with the Brightness of his Coming c. Christ renews and doubleth the same Charge ●n the same Epistle as it were Adjuring and Conjuring Timothy and in him all the Church●s In the sight of God as they look to answer it at that Great Day and before Jesus Christ who made a good Confession before Pontius Pilate that they keep his Commandment without spot and unrebukable until the Appearing of Jesus Christ How should all these Obtestations and Injunctions make all New-England Church-Members and Officers dreadfully to quake and tremble under the consideration of what Guilt we lay under by breach of this Command Moreover the King of Saints and Lord of Heaven and Earth having Magnified and Exalted this People above any in the lower world with Charter Priviledge to im-body themselves into Spiritual Corporations founded upon Divine Institutions and directed by Scriptural Regulations by which Charter of Right they are Impowred to Assemble and Incorporate themselves to Chuse and Appoint their own Officers acting the whole in his Sacred Majesties Name and Solely by his Authority tha● agreeing together he hath pass'd under th● great Seal of Heaven and given his Royal Parol● Oath and Amen to bind or loose in heaven whatsoever they shall bind or loose on earth the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are give● to this Church Confessing and Professing Chris● to be the Son of the living God the gates o● hell shall not prevail against it yea he whos● Name is I AM is in the Midst of two or three assembled in his Name Authority but if they by their factions or fractions cannot agree o● thro their sullen wilfulness do Nonuser Desuser Refuser any of these Sacred Statutes which they by Scripture Charter are oblidg'd to act by they forfeit their Franchise may expect a Divin● Quo-warrant to be sued out by their King against them WHO REQUIRED THIS AT YOUR HANDS THIS IS NOT THE FEAST FAST OR DUTY THE LORD REQUIRES By not observing all things he ha●h Commanded they forfeit the challenge of his promised Presence with them if they refuse any Officer which he hath instated in the Churches they expose themselves to the Forfeiture of the said Charter And he who knoweth not what a Deluge of Superstitions was by this door of neglect let into the first Churches he is not so vers'd in divine and humane Church History as the time of the fulfilling Prophesy we are cast into calls for our crying out The Temple of the Lord will not free us from being Dischurched more then Jerusalem was she was seat to Shilo N. England needs not to Travel into Asia to learn it every poor French Refugee who hath set his Foot in N. England Preacheth it unto us whose Churches have yielded more Faithful Martyrs then all the other Reformed Churches in Europe their care of Supplying the Poor Churches out of the Large Treasury and by the Liberality of the Richer was Exemplary and the Providing Maintenance to the Widows and Orphans of their Deceased Pastors was Presidential it was the special Work of their National Synods and doth condemn us Christ that knows their Charity Service Faith and Patience after their Re reformation will make this Thyatiras last works to be more than her first Oh that we might apply our Hearts to these things that they may sink into our Souls Kings out of their Natural Clemency may abate from the Severity of Law but if contempt be added it aggravates the Offence Our case is such as only Soveraign Grace can Cure God hath oft wrought for his Names Sake Let us Plead it with him Lord we are call●d by thy Name Leave us not Let us not be abhorr'd for thy Names Sake Let not the Throne of Thy Glory be further Disgraced before Popish and Pagan Adversaries It 's said that none but Parliaments Laxness ●o maintain their just and legal Proprietie● 〈◊〉 undo the Body Polittck of a Nation so no●● can undo our Spiritual Corporations but their Members giving up their due just Church Power and Priviledge into the bands of some Diotrephes as befel the Primitive Churches As we began with a caution from our great Cotton so we shall draw to a conclusion with the Animadversion of the great Congregational Champion Dr. Owen who in the Vindication of these Churches from Scism cha●g'd upon them by Dr Stilling sfleet the said Reverend Man who there and in his other Elaborate Works upon that Subject doth

the Chu●ebes as before is o●●served and being that which was agreeing 〈◊〉 the Word of God and the principles of th● Congregational Way first practised in o●● Churches for a good time since this Plat fo●● hath been Printed here and in England an● published Abroad to the World there being n●● difference between us and the other Reformed Churches whether the Church of England th● French or Dutch Churches but only in point o● Church Government as to points of Faith an● Doctrine we all agree in one this we though● needful to inlarge upon humbly fearing th● Lords present Controversy with us doth it great measure Center here viz. our deviating and receeding from that which gave us th● Name of New England viz. the Plat-Form and agreed practice of our Churches according to the Word of God The Ravening Wolves of Heresy and the wild Boars of Tyranny being chained up from Devouring the Lords poor I lock and from Rooting up his Heritage The unreconcileable Adversary le ts loose his Foxes with Fire brands at their Tails te●●urn up this peoples standing Corn which no ●aking he sent forth his Foxes the little Foxes ●o spoil this Vine in the time of its tender Grapes but the Keeper of this Vineyard neither slumbering nor sleeping took and destroy'd them ●he Watch'd Warded and every momen Watered it and none did hurt it much less threw down the Stone-Wall thereof tho● many an hard push and shuff was made at it 〈◊〉 our Jerusalem was then a Burthensome Stone their Governours like a Torch of Fire in a Sheaf many an Ebenezar Stones of help di● our Fathers then set up for which the Lords Sacro sanct Name was Celebrated This preceeding Relation is but as a few Clusters of Ephraims Grapes compared with the redundancy of Abiezer our Fathers Helpers Vintage so many unimaginable and unutterable ●acts of Favour and preventing Mercies were in the Revolution of twenty five or about thirty years space vouchsafed to our Fathers as would fill a large Volume yet not without mixture of Fatherly Corrections to evince Paternal Respects unto them as their own words writ into our Nation testify that they were by the Dew from above and Caelestial Influences kept alive and cherished as to the sequel we shall leave it to such Sprightly and Accurate Wits to perform who shall espouse it 〈◊〉 knowing that tract of time will admit liberty of freer Discourse about Matters then this Age will bear the Relator being in hazard of having his Teeth dasht out by Truth liftin● up her heeles if he come too near her as hat been Experienced and Recorded by our Nat●●ons Great Historiographer This was the time of our Fathers Love of thei● Espousals and Kindness of their Youth they wer●●hen Holiness unto the Lord and the First Fruits o●●is Increase God Rode upon the Heavens fo● their help they dewlt safely tho' solitarily 〈◊〉 our Issachar Rejoyced in their Tents and ou● Lebulon in his Going forth but have we brought Sacrifices unto the Holy Mountain though we have sucked of the abundance and treasures of ●he Sea to the enriching of divers This Tribe ●ath aboundantly multiplied to the admiration of all Beholders So as a noted Belgian one of the East India Company who above twenty years since have●ng heard of the fame of thi● place purposely ●ame over to take a view of it and past through ●ll the parts of it and made a particular remark ●pon our sea trade and the incredible number ●f small Vess●ls he then saw besides some Ships ●f considerable Burthen belonging to us Nor is to be forgotten the answer made to a Messenger of the Nations an Attendant upon ●he French Court sent hither by Lewis le●rand to demand the fulfilling of the Articles ●ade at Breda between the two Crowns who ●ere to his astonishment saw what he could ●ot have believed to him it was told That ●od had founded this Sion and that the poor ●f his People did trust in him at his departure with wonderment he said Lo what hath God ●one and if his Masters servants did know how ●●e poor of this Country lived he would not ●ave one left It might be then said who so happy as new New England by the Lord their shield and Sword of their Excellency as our Report hath passed through Holland and France so that Spain is no stranger to it C. Allin appeareth by the Discourse which the Governour of Cuba had with a Prisoner of Note of ours falling into his hands concerning our being a People eminent for great Mo●ality and Reformation but mind you said he ●ow your Children will prove and what will be●ome of them a Speech becoming a Gentleman well Versed in Sacred and Civil History Thus far of the Light and white side of the Pillar which attended us in this our Wilderness Pilgrimage the black and dark side remains ●nd we hope thus far we have cleared our Fathers from being the procurers and peccant causes of these dismal days now befallen us they according to Divine Institution walked with God they did Justice and Judgment and then it was well with them The Lord took delight in our Fathers and they in him we have left the Lord he hath forsaken us they Walkt with him we contrary unto him he Subdued their Pequod and Narraganset Enemies before them gave their Country into our hands but now the Sce●● of Affai●s is turned we are made a Spoil 〈◊〉 our Haters to our Popish and Pagan Neig●●bours a Derision we are sold and scattered 〈◊〉 mong the Heathen can we say All this 〈◊〉 befallen us yet have we not forgotten thee n●● have we done falsely in thy Covenant this w●●● fear is our mortal wound viz. the forget●i●● of our Fathers and of our God we have dea● falsely in our own and their Covenant wh●● stipulated for us this is the quarrel which th● Holy God is now avenging Hath Chittim 〈◊〉 Canada chang'd their Gods Do we thus Requi● the Lord Oh Fo●lish People and Unwise O poor New-England especially Boston i● the Day of it poor to a proverb of being th● lost Town in our first Founding those of ●ther Towns enquired how the Mean On● lived here the Rich had their Farms Abroa● to Subsist by but as for the poor how coul● they subsist The Answer was their Ministry was so sweet unto them and the Bread of Lif● so savoury to their Souls that they forgot thei● Bo●ily Food so welcome was Christian Society to them that he who had but an Acre of Lan● for his House Lot parted with one half of i● to a desirable Neighbour he that had but hal● an Acre did the like Thus were we increast● so as instead of a desolate place where ou● Fathers found no Town to dwell in they Cri●ed unto the Lord hungry and thirsty who le● them forth by a right way that we are become 〈◊〉 small City of Habitation God gave some ●f them then a particular Faith upon Psalm