Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	church_n	communion_n	schism_n	2,635	5	10.6078	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96686	Hypocrisie unmasked: by a true relation of the proceedings of the Governour and company of the Massachusets against Samuel Gorton (and his accomplices) a notorious disturber of the peace and quiet of the severall governments wherein he lived : with the grounds and reasons thereof, examined and allowed by their Generall Court holden at Boston in New-England in November last, 1646. Together with a particular answer to the manifold slanders, and abominable falshoods which are contained in a book written by the said Gorton, and entituled, Simplicities defence against seven-headed policy, &c. Discovering to the view of all whose eyes are open, his manifold blasphemies; as also the dangerous agreement which he and his accomplices made with ambitious and treacherous Indians, who at the same time were deeply engaged in a desperate conspiracy to cut off all the rest of the English in the other plantations. VVhereunto is added a briefe narration (occasioned by certain aspersions) of the true grounds or cause of the first planting of New-England; the president of their churches in the way and worship of God; their communion with the Reformed Churches; and their practise towards those that dissent from them in matters of religion and Church-government. / By Edw. Winslow. Published by authority.	Winslow, Edward, 1595-1655.; Gorton, Samuel, 1592 or 3-1677.; Williams, Roger, 1604?-1683.	1647 (1647)	Wing W3037; Thomason E409_23; ESTC R204435	90,941	117

thus briefly shewed that the foundation of our new-New-England Plantations was not laid upon Schisme division or Separation but upon love peace and holinesse yea such love and mutuall care of the Church of Leyden for the spreading of the Gospel the welfare of each other and their posterities to succeeding generations as is seldome found on earth And having shewed also that the Primitive Churches are the onely pattern which the Churches of Christ in new-New-England have in their eye not following Luther Calvin Knoxe Ai●sworth Robinson Amies or any other further then they follow Christ and his Apostles I am earnestly requested to cleare up another grosse mistake which caused many and still doth to judge the harder of New-England and the Churches there because say they The Church of Plymouth which went first from Leyden were Schismaticks Brownists rigid Separatists c. having Mr. Robinson for their Pastor who made and to the last professed separation from other the Churches of Christ c. And the rest of the Churches in new-New-England holding communion with that Church are to bee reputed such as they are For answer to this aspersion First he that knew Mr. Robinson either by his Doctrine daily taught or hath read his Apology published not long before his death or knew the practise of that Church of Christ under his government or was acquainted with the wholsome counsell he gave that part of the Church which went for new-New-England at their departure and afterward might easily resolve the doubt and take off the aspersion For his Doctrine I living three yeares under his Ministery before we began the worke of Plantation in New-England It was alwayes against separation from any the Churches of Christ professing and holding communion both with the French and Dutch Churches yea tendering it to the Scots also as I shall make appeare more particularly anon Ever holding forth how wary persons ought to bee in separating from a Church and that till Christ the Lord departed wholly from it man ought not to leave it onely to beare witnesse against the corruption that was in it But if any object he separated from the Church of England and wrote largely against it I acknowledge hee wrote largely against it but yet let me tell you hee allowed hearing the godly Ministers preach and pray in the publick Assemblies yea hee allowed private communion not onely with them but all that were faithfull in Christ Jesus in the Kingdome and elsewhere upon all occasions yea honored them for the power of godlinesse above all other the professors of Religion in the world nay I may truly say his spirit cleaved unto them being so well acquainted with the integrity of their hearts and care to walke blamelesse in their lives which was no small motive to him to perswade us to remove from Holland where wee might probably not onely continue English but have and maintain such sweet communion with the godly of that Nation as through Gods great mercy we enjoy this day 'T is true I confesse he was more rigid in his course and way at first then towards his latter end for his study was peace and union so far as might agree with faith and a good conscience and for schism and division there was nothing in the world more hatefull to him But for the government of the Church of England as it was in the Episcopall way the Liturgy and stinted prayers of the Church then yea the constitution of it as Nationall and so consequently the corrupt communion of the unworthy with the worthy receivers of the Lords Supper these things were never approved of him but witnessed against to his death and are by the Church over which he was to this day And if the Lord would be pleased to stir up the hearts of those in whom under him the power of Reformation lies to reform that abuse that a distinction might once be put between the precious and the vile particular Churches might be gathered by the powerfull preaching of the Word those onely admitted into communion whose hearts the Lord perswades to submit unto the Iron rod of the Gospel O how sweet then would the communion of the Churches be How thorow the Reformation How easie would the differences be reconciled between the Presbyterian and Independent way How would the God of peace which commandeth love and good agreement smile upon this Nation How would the subtle underminers of it be disappointed and the faithfull provoked to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving Nay how would the God of order be glorified in such orderly walking of the Saints And as they have fought together for the liberties of the Kingdome Ecclesiasticall and Civill so may they joyn together in the preservation of them which otherwise 't is to be feared will not long continue and in the praises of our God who hath been so good to his poore distressed ones whom he hath delivered and whom he will deliver out of all their troubles But I have made too great a digression and must return In the next place I should speak of Mr. Robinsons Apology wherein the maketh a briefe defence against many adversaries c. But because it is both in Latine and English of small price and easie to bee had I shall forbeare to write of it and onely refer the Reader to it for the differences between his congregation and other the Reformed Churches The next thing I would have the Reader take notice of is that however the church of Leyden differed in some particulars yet made no Schisme or separation from the Reformed Churches but held communion with them occasionally For we ever placed a large difference between those that grounded their practise upon the Word of God tho differing from us in the exposition or understanding of it and those that hated such Reformers and Reformation and went on in Antichristian opposition to it and persecution of it as the late Lord Bishops did who would not in deed and truth whatever their pretences were that Christ should rule over them But as they often stretched out their hands against the saints so God hath withered the Arm of their power thrown them down from their high lofty seats and slain the chiefe of their persons as well as the Hierarchy that he might become an example to all those that rise against God in his Sabbath in the preaching of his Word in his Saints in the purity of his Ordinances And I heartily desire that others may heare and feare withall As for the Dutch it was usuall for our Members that understood the language and lived in or occasionally came over to London to communicate with them as one John Jenny a Brewer long did his wife and family c. and without any offence to the Church So also for any that had occasion to travell into any other part of the Netherlands they daily did the like And our Pastor Mr. Robinson in the time when Arminianisme prevailed so much at the request

of the most Orthodox Divines as Poliander Festus Homlius c. disputed daily against Episcopius in the Academy at Leyden and others the grand champions of that error and had as good respect amongst them as any of their own Divines Insomuch as when God took him away from them and us by death the University and Ministers of the City accompanied him to his grave with all their accustomed solemnities bewayling the great losse that not onely that particular Church had whereof he was Pastor but some of the chief of them sadly affirmed that all the Churches of Christ sustained a losse by the death of that worthy Instrument of the Gospel I could instance also divers of their members that understood the English tongue and betook themselves to the communion of our Church went with us to new-New-England as Godbert Godbertson c. Yea at this very instant another called Moses Symonson because a child of one that was in communion with the Dutch Church at Leyden is admitted into Church-fellowship at Plymouth in new-New-England and his children also to Baptism as wel as our own and other Dutch also in communion at Salem c. And for the French Churches that we held and do hold communion with them take notice of our practise at Leyden viz. that one Samuel Terry was received from the French Church there into communion with us also the wife of Francis Cooke being a Walloone hold● communion with the Church at Plymouth as she came from the French to this day by vertue of communion of Churches There is also one Philip Delanoy born of French parents came to us from Leyden to New-Plymouth who comming to age of discerning demanded also communion with us proving himself to be come of such parents as were in ful communion with the French Churches was here upon admitted by the Church of Plymouth and after upon his removal of habitation to Duxburrow where M. Ralph Partridge is Pastor of the Church and upon Letters of recommendation from the Church at Plymouth hee was also admitted into fellowship with the Church at Duxburrow being six miles distant from Plymouth and so I dare say if his occasions lead him may from Church to church throughout new-New-England For the truth is the Dutch and French Churches either of them being a people distinct from the world and gathered into an holy communion and not Nationall Churches nay so far from it as I verily beleeve the sixth person is not of the Church the difference is so small if moderately pondered between them and us as we dare not for the world deny communion with them And for the Church of Scotland however wee have had least occasion offered to hold communion with them yet thus much I can and doe affirme that a godly Divine comming over to Leyden in Holland where a Booke was printed Anno 1619. as I take it shewing the nullity of Perth Assembled whom we judged to bee the Author of it and hidden in Holland for a season to avoid the rage of those evill times whose name I have forgotten This man being very conversant with our Pastor Mr. Robinson and using to come to hear him on the Sabbath after Sermon ended the Church being to partake in the Lords Supper this Minister stood up and desired hee might without offence stay and see the manner of his administration and our participation in that Ordinance To which our Pastor answered in these very words or to this effect Reverend Sir you may not onely stay to behold us but partake with us if you please for wee acknowledge the Churches of Scotland to be the Churches of Christ c. The Minister also replyed to this purpose if not also in the same words That for his part bee could comfortably partake with the Church and willingly would but that it is possible some of his brethren of Scotland might take offence at his act which he desired to avoid in regard of the opinion the English Churches which they held communion withall had of us However he rendered thanks to Mr. Robinson and desired in that respect to be onely a spectator of us These things I was earnestly requested to publish to the world by some of the godly Presbyterian party who apprehend the world to bee ignorant of our proceedings conceiving in charity that if they had been knowne some late Writers and Preachers would never have written and spoke of us as they did and still doe as they have occasion But what they ignorantly judge write or speak of us I trust the Lord in mercy wil passe by In the next place for the wholsome counsell Mr. Robinson gave that part of the Church whereof he was Pastor at their departure from him to begin the great worke of Plantation in new-New-England amongst other wholsome Instructions and Exhortations hee used these expressions or to the same purpose We are now ere long to part asunder and the Lord knoweth whether ever he should live to see our faces again but whether the Lord had appointed it or not he charged us before God and his blessed Angels to follow him no further then he followed Christ And if God should reveal any thing to us by any other instrument of his to be as ready to receive it as ever we were to receive any truth by his Ministery For he was very confident the Lord had more truth and light yet to breake forth out of his holy Word He took occasion also miserably to bewaile the state and condition of the Reformed Churches who were come to a period in Religion and would goe no further then the instruments of their Reformation As for example the Lutherans they could not be drawne to goe beyond what Luther saw for whatever part of Gods will he had further imparted and revealed to Calvin they will rather die then embrace it And so also saith he you see the Calvinists they stick where he left them A misery much to bee lamented For though they were precious shining lights in their times yet God had not revealed his whole will to them And were they now living faith hee they would bee as ready and willing to embrace further light as that they had received Here also he put us in mind of our Church-Covenant at least that part of it whereby wee promise and covenant with God and one with another to receive whatsoever light or truth shall be made known to us from his written Word but withall exhorted us to take heed what we received for truth and well to examine and compare and weigh it with other Scriptures of truth before we received it For saith he It is not possible the Christian world should come to lately out of such thick Antichristian darknesse and that full perfection of knowledge should breake forth at once Another thing hee commended to us was that wee should use all meanes to avoid and shake off the name of Brownist being a meer nick-name and brand to make Religion odious

and the professors of it to the Christian world and to that end said hee I should be glad if some godly Minister would goe over with you or come to you before my comming For said hee there will bee no difference between the unconformable Ministers and you when they come to the practise of the Ordinances out of the Kingdome And so advised us by all meanes to endeavour to close with the godly party of the Kingdome of England and rather to study union then division viz. how neare we might possibly without sin close with them then in the least measure to affect division or separation from them And be not loath to take another Pastor or Teacher saith hee for that flock that hath two shepheards is not indangered but secured by it Many other things there were of great and weighty consequence which he commended to us but these things I thought good to relate at the request of some well-willers to the peace and good agreement of the godly so distracted at present about the settling of Church-government in the Kingdom of England that so both sides may truly see what this poor despised Church of Christ now at New-Plymouth in new-New-England but formerly at Leyden in Holland was and is how far they were and still are from separation from the Churches of Christ especially those that are Reformed 'T is true we professe and desire to practise a separation from the world the works of the world which are works of the flesh such as the Apostle speaketh of Ephes 5. 19 20 21. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. and Ephes 2. 11 12. And as the Churches of Christ are all Saints by calling so we desire to see the grace of God shining forth at least seemingly leaving secret things to God in all we admit into church fellowship with us to keep off such as openly wallow in the mire of their sins that neither the holy things of God nor the communion of the Saints may be leavened or polluted thereby And if any joyning to us formerly either when we lived at Leyden in Holland or since we came to new-New-England have with the manifestation of their faith and profession of holinesse held forth therewith separation from the Church of England I have divers times both in the one place and the other heard either Mr. Robinson our Pastor or Mr. Brewster our Elder stop them forthwith shewing them that wee required no such things at their hands but only to hold forth faith in Christ Jesus holinesse in the feare of God and submission to every Ordinance and appointment of God leaving the Church of England to themselves and to the Lord before whom they should stand or fall and to whom wee ought to pray to reforme what was amisse amongst them Now this Reformation we have lived to see performed and brought about by the mighty power of God this day in a good measure and I hope the Lord Jesus will perfect his work of Reformation till all be according to the good pleasure of his will By all which I desire the Reader to take notice of our former and present practise notwithstanding all the injurious and scandalous taunting reports are passed on us And if these things will not satisfie but wee must still suffer reproach and others for our sakes because they and wee thus walke our practise being for ought wee know wholly grounded on the written Word without any addition or humane invention knowne to us taking our patterne from the Primitive Churches as they were regulated by the blessed Apostles in their owne dayes who were taught and instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ and had the unerring and all-knowing Spirit of God to bring to their remembrance the things they had heard I say if wee must still suffer such reproach notwithstanding our charity towards them who will not be in charity with us Gods will be done The next aspersion cast upon us is that we will not suffer any that differ from us never so little to reside or cohabite with us no not the Presbyterian Government which differeth so little from us To which I answer our practise witnesseth the contrary For 't is well knowne that Mr. Parker and Mr. Noy●e who are Ministers of the Church at Newberry are in that way and so knowne so farre as a single Congregation can bee exercised in it yet never had the least molestation or disturbance and have and finde as good respect from Magistrates and people as other Elders in the Congregationall or Primitive way 'T is knowne also that Mr. Hubbard the Minister at Hengam hath declared himselfe for that way nay which is more then ever I heard of the other two hee refuseth to baptzie no children that are tendred to him although this liberty stands not upon a Presbyterian bottome and yet the Civill State never molested him for it onely comming to a Synod held in the Country the last yeare which the Magistrates called requesting the Churches to send their Elders and such other as might bee able to hold forth the light of God from his written word in case of some doubts which did arise in the Country I say hee comming the last sitting of the Assembly which was adjourned to the eighth of June next was in all meeknesse and love requested to bee present and hold forth his light hee went by in baptizing all that were brought to him hereby waving the practise of the Churches which he promising to take into consideration they rested in his answer So also 't is wel known that before these unhappy troubles arose in England and Scotland there were divers Gentlemen of Scotland that groaned under the heavy pressaries of those times wrote to New-England to know whether they might freely be suffered to exercise their Presbyteriall government amongst us And it was answered affirmatively they might and they sending over a Gentleman to take a view of some fit place A River called Meromeck neare Ipswich and Newberry aforesaid was shewed their Agent which he well liked and where wee have since four townes settled and more may bee for ought I know so that there they might have had a compleate Presbytery and whither they intended to have come but meeting with manifold crosses being halfe Seas thorow they gave over their intendments and as I have heard these were many of the Gentlemen that first fell upon the late Covenant in Scotland by all which will easily appeare how wee are here wronged by many and the harder measure as wee heare imposed upon our brethren for our sakes nay pretending our example for their president And last of all not long before I came away certaine discontented persons in open Court of the Massachusets demanding that liberty it was freely and as openly tendred to them shewing their former practices by mee mentioned but willed not to expect that wee should provide them Ministers c. for the same but getting such themselves they might exercise the Presbyterian

to the Nanohiggansets In that troublesome time viz. being one cast out of the Church Mr. Cotton should preach It was all one to take counsell of a witch and that those that did it were worthy to die Upon which Mr. Wilbour one of the messengers was ready to die saith hee for feare hee should have been hanged This I cannot beleeve for these two Reasons 1. Because all men that know Mr. Cotton know his moderation wisdome and piety to bee such as such an expression was not like to drop from him 2. The strictest Government in New-Engl that I know takes no advantage in the law at a mans person for being excommunicated insomuch as if he have an office he holds it neverthelesse and this I know practised and therefore his relation unlike But that the Messengers were directed to another for their interpreter I know and that some took offence at their practise I know also but upon different grounds which I forbeare to mention being now to answer Mr. Gorton and not Mr. Williams In pag. 93. which is the last page in his Booke that I shall need to make answer to and the thing hee there brings against us is an answer to a doctrine one of their wives should heare delivered at Massachusets when shee came to visit them from Matth. 24. 29. and alluding to Hebr. 12. 26 27. briefly this doctrine there delivered should make the doctrine of the Apostles and the Churches in their times to ●ee but darkness● That the Ministery of the Apostles was and should be removed c. which I desire the Reader to turne to but bee assured through Gods mercy by meanes of the late Bishop of Canterburies persecutions of the godly here wee are so excellently furnished with shining Lights of the Gospel as no such blasphemous trash as this could bee there delivered and so many able hearers as if it should have been delivered by any the Lord with-drawing his presence from him it would have been forthwith excepted against and published to the world But I am confident if such a thing were there heard it was either from one of their owne company or disciples made by them And therefore I will passe by the answer also as not concerning any difference between him and us and so the rest of his writings to that end and could wish that Narcissus-like hee were not so much in love with his owne shadow lest it prove his ruine there needing no other matter against him then his owne words and writings to render him odious to the State here as well as to New-England from whence he came AND now that I have finished what I conceive necessary concerning Mr. Gortons scandalous and slanderous Bookes let me briefly answer some objections that I often meet withall against the Country of New-England The first that I meet with is concerning the rise and foundation of our New-England Plantations It being alledged though upon a great mistake by a late Writer that division or disagreement in the Church of Leyden was the occasion nay cause of the first Plantation in new-New-England for saith the Author or to this effect when they could no longer agree together the one part went to New-England and began the Plantation at Plymouth which he makes the mother as it were of the rest of the Churches as if the foundation of our new-New-England Plantations had been laid upon division or separation then which nothing is more untrue For I perswade my selfe never people upon earth lived more lovingly together and parted more sweetly then wee the Church at Leyden did not rashly in a distracted humour but upon joynt and serious deliberation often seeking the minde of God by fasting and prayer whose gracious presence we not onely found with us but his blessing upon us from that time to this instant to the indignation of our adversaries the admiration of strangers and the exceeding consolation of our selves to see such effects of our prayers and teares before our pilgrimage here bee ended And therefore briefly take notice of the true cause of it 'T is true that that poor persecuted flock of Christ by the malice and power of the late Hierarchy were driven to Leyden in Holland there to beare witnesse in their practise to the Kingly Office of Christ Jesus in his Church and there lived together ten yeares under the United States with much peace and liberty But our Reverend Pastor Mr. John Robinson of late memory and our grave Elder Mr. William Brewster now both at rest with the Lord considering amongst many other inconveniences how hard the Country was where we lived how many spent their estate in it and were forced to return for England how grievous to live from under the protection of the State of England how like wee were to lose our language and our name of English how little good wee did or were like to do to the Dutch in reforming the Sabbath how unable there to give such education to our children as wee our selves had received c. They I say out of their Christian care of the flock of Christ committed to them conceived if God would bee pleased to discover some place unto us though in America and give us so much favour with the King and State of England as to have their protection there where wee might enjoy the like liberty and where the Lord favouring our endeavours by his blessing wee might exemplarily shew our tender Country-men by our example no lesse burthened then our selves where they might live and comfortably subsist and enjoy the like liberties with us being freed from Antichristian bondage keep their names and Nation and not onely bee a meanes to enlarge the Dominions of our State but the Church of Christ also if the Lord have a people amongst the Natives whither hee should bring us c. Hereby in their grave Wisdomes they thought wee might more glorifie God doe more good to our Countrey better provide for our posterity and live to be more refreshed by our labours then ever wee could doe in Holland where we were Now these their private thoughts upon mature deliberation they imparted to the Brethren of the Congregation which after much private discussion came to publike agitation till at the length the Lord was solemnly sought in the Congregation by fasting and prayer to direct us who moving our hearts more and more to the worke wee sent some of good abilities over into England to see what favour or acceptance such a thing might finde with the King These also found God going alongwith them and got Sir Edwin Sands a religious Gentleman then living to stirre in it who procured Sir Robert Nawnton then principall Secretary of State to King James of famous memory to move his Majesty by a private motion to give way to such a people who could not so comfortably live under the Government of another State to enjoy their liberty of Conscience under his gracious protection in America where they would endeavour