it is of Acrius it is false and it is confusion The reformed Churches and Writers that held so had little experience of mission to convert plant Churches among Infidels That reformation goes too deep that tends to pulling downe of Cathedrall Churches and Bishops houses Should not Apostolick Bishops and the chiefest Ministers have houses to dwell in and Churches to recide and officiate in whither all the Churches of their Line may send and come together in Councel or Synod and so do nothing of great moment without their Bishop a Timothy or a Titus Again Baptisme is admission and initiation into the Church to whom Baptisme is commited viz. Apostles and Apostolick Ministers they have power of admission that is of loosing and consequently of binding excommunication or expulsion Where is now the peoples power in the keyes are they all Apostles and Apostolick Ministers what confusion is this who can yeeld to it knowingly I beseech you pardon my zeale and when you have considered all pity my condition and pray for me still Well I am assured that master Prynne master Burton would never yeeld to these things especially if they had experience of them It is good for us to see our errours and acknowledge them that we may obtain peace in the day of account Boston 13. Oct. 1640. To another SOrry and grieved we are at the heart to heare of the troublous estate and condition of our native countrey wee here also meete with our troubles and distresses in outward things and some in spirituall matters also Here wants a staple commodity to maintain cloathing to the Colony And for my own particular hitherto I have beene much distressed here by reason I cannot yet so clearely understand the Church proceedings as to yeeld to them there are therein so many difficult considerations that they have sometimes bred great confusion in my thoughts Never since I saw you have I received the Sacrament of the Lords supper I have disputed in writing though to my great hinderance in regard of outward things yet blessed be the Lord to my better satisfaction at the last I never intended openly to oppose the godlyhere in any thing I thought they mistooke but I was lately taken at advantage and brought before the Magistrates before whom giving a quiet and peaceable answer I was dismissed with favour and respect promised me by some of the chiefe for the future Our chiefe difference was about the foundation of the Church and Ministery and what rigid separations may tend unto what is to be feared in case the most of the people here should remaine unbaptized considerations which may trouble the wisest among us Rigid separations never did nor can propagate the Gospell of Christ they can do no good they have done hurt It is dangerous to found Church government on dark uncertain interpretations of Propheticall or other Scriptures foundations ought to be full of evidence demonstration Blessed be the Lord now some of the chiefe leaders of the Churches here hold the Churches in England true Churches and your Ministery lawfull though divers corruptions there may be among you yea some there bee of the chiefe among us that conceive the government by godly Bishops superintendent over others to be lawfull Churches are not perfect in this world We may not for every disagreement in opinion or for slender pretended corruptions separate from the Church separate so once and no end of separation From Boston in N. E. Decem. 19. 1640. To conclude SUppose there are foure sorts of Government which are used in Church as in Common-wealth Monarchicall absolute without Lawes which is tyrannie Monarchicall bounded by Lawes Aristocraticall and Democraticall Episcopall absolute which is Popish tyrannie Episcopall regulated by just Lawes Presbyterian and Congregationall Which of these will all men like and how long Some have well compared the humour of the people in this kind to a merry relation of an old man and his sonne passing through the streets of a City with one horse betweene them First the old man rode then the people found fault with his unkindnesse in that he did not cause his son to ride with him then the young man gets up too now the people say they are both unmercifull to the beast downe comes the old man then the young man is unmannerly to ride and his father walk on foot at last downe goes the young man also and leads the horse then they were both unwise to lead the horse and neither of them to ride Well but alter the inconstant vulgar will if so God grant it be for the better But then consider stories one alteration follows another some have altered sixe times before they were setled againe and ever the people have paid for it both money and bloud Concerning Church-government what the Presbyterian way is and how sutable for Englands Monarchie I leave to the pious experienced Divines to set forth and the Church and State thereof to judge And for the Congregationall independent government whereof I have had some experience give me leave instead of a better intelligencer thus to present to my deare countrey now in a time of neede my impartiall opinion in these confused papers And in brief-thus Although it had some small colour in Scripture and a great pretence of holinesse yet no sound ground in the Scripture Again if it be neither fit nor possible long to bee continued in New-England as not I alone but many more eye and eare witnesses doe know and the learned can and will judge undoubtedly it must needes be much more unfit and impossible to be brought into England or Ireland or any other populous Nation All which upon the whole I humbly submit unto the sacred judgment and determination of holy Church his royall Majesty and his Highnesses great and honourable Councel the high Court of PARLIAMENT Imprimatur Ioh Hansley FINIS How Churches are gathered there Their Church Covenant Election of their Church Officers Their ordinations The right hand of fellowship by messengers of Churches Some differ How members are received or added to the Church there The usuall termes whereupon Matters of offence how heard in private Dilatorie proceedings in admitting members * Whether Popish Auricular confession and these publique confessions be not extremes and whether some private Pastorall or Presbyteriall collation left at liberty upon cause and in case of trouble of conscience as in the Church of England is approved be not better then those extremes I leave to he wise and learned to judge Testimonials and Recommendations Publique confessions of parties to be received Their profession of faith Officers in the Church Their duties or offices Members duties A Sermon of twelve Articles of Religion Master Knolls how admitted Right hand of fellowship given to brethren The whole Church ruleth Their enterance into Covenant Severing in the family Offences how heard in publique The whole Church ruling and usurping the keyes * Whether a grave and judicious consistorie
PLAIN DEALING OR NEVVES FROM New-England Vivat Rex Angliae Carolus Vivat Anglia Vivantque eorum Amici omnes A short view of NEW-ENGLANDS present Government both Ecclesiasticall and Civil compared with the anciently-received and established Government of ENGLAND in some materiall points fit for the gravest consideration in these times By THOMAS LECHFORD of Clements Inne in the County of Middlesex Gent. Levis est dolor qui capere consilium potest Et clepere sese Magna non latitant mala Sen. LONDON Printed by W. E. and I. G. for Nath Butter at the signe of the pyde Bull neere S. Austins gate 1642. TO THE READER EVery man is to approve himselfe and answer to God for his actions his conscience leads him to and next to good men as much as in him lyeth I have thus presumed to enter into publique for these reasons First because it is well knowne unto many that heretofore I suffered imprisonment and a kind of banishment out of this good Land for some acts construed to oppose and as tending to subvert Episcopacie and the setled Ecclesiasticall government of England therefore now I desired to purge my self of so great a scandall and wherein I have offended to intreat all my Superiours and others to impute it rather to my ignorance for the time then any wilfull stubbornnesse Secondly seeing that since my comming home I find that multitudes are corrupted with an opinion of the unlawfulnesse of the Church-government by Diocesan Bishops which opinion I beleeve is the root of much mischiefe having now had experience of divers governments I see not how I could with faithfulnesse to God my King and Countrey be any longer silent especially considering some of these late troubles occasioned among other sins I fear much through this evill opinion Happy shall I be if any be made wiser by my harmes I wish all men to take heed how they shake hands with the Church of God upon any such heedlesse grounds as I almost had done Thirdly that I might though unworthy in a fit season acquaint the learned and pious Divines of England with these my slender observations quaeres and experiments to the end they may come the better prepared upon any publique occasion for the consideration of such matters and so at length those good things that are shaken among us may be established and truth confirmed It is enough for me being a Student or Practiser at Law faithfully to put a Case which will be this Whether the Episcopall Government by Provinciall and Diocesan Bishops in number about 26. in England being if not of absolute Divine authority yet nearest and most like thereunto and most anciently here embraced is still safest to be continued Or a Presbyterian government being as is humbly conceived but of humane authority bringing in a numerous company of above 40000. Presbyters to have chiefe rule in the keyes in England be fit to be newly set up here a thing whereof we have had no experience and which moderate wise men think to be lesse consonant to the Divine patterne and may prove more intolerable then the said Episcopacie Or an independent government of every congregationall Church ruling it selfe which introduceth not onely one absolute Bishop in every Parish but in effect so many men so many Bishops according to New-Englands rule which in England would be Anarchie confusion I would entreat those that stand for this last mentioned manner of government to be pleased to consider 1. That the very terme of leading or ruling in the Church attributed to Elders forbids it for if all are Rulers who shall be ruled 2. The maine acts of Rule consist of receiving into the Church by Baptisme or otherwise and ejection out of the Church by censure binding and loosing now these are committed to the Apostles and their successors and not to all the members of the Church 3. All have not power to baptize therefore not to receive into the Church nor to cast out of the Church My brethren be not many masters saith S. Iames 3.1 The words of the wise are as goads and as nayles fastened by the masters of assemblies which are given from one Shepheard Eccles. 12.11 And whereas some may say that this power of ruling is but ministerially in the Officers and initiatively conclusively and virtually in the people If so what power ordinarily have the people to contradict the ministeriall works and acts of their Officers Must the whole Church try all those whom their Ministers convert abroad suppose among Indians before they may baptize them How can all the Church examine and try such All have not power warrant leisure pleasure ability for and in such works nor can all speake Indian language Doubtlesse the acts of rule by the Officers is the rule of the whole Church and so to be taken ordinarily without contradiction else there would be no end of jangling And thus taken the whole Church of Corinth by S. Pauls command sc. by their Ministers were to put away that wicked person and deliver him up to Satan 1 Cor. 5.13 and restore him and forgive him 2 Cor. 2. and so all the doubt on that Text is neer I think resolved Now that the government at New-England seemeth to make so many Church-members so many Bishops will be plaine by this ensuing Discourse for you shall here find that the Churches in the Bay governe each by all their members unanimously or else by the major part wherein every one hath equall vote and superspection with their Ministers and that in their Covenant it is expressed to be the duty of all the members to watch over one another And in time their Churches will be more corrupted then now they are they cannot as there is reason to feare avoid it possibly How can any now deny this to be Anarchie and confusion Nay say some we will keep out those that have not true grace But how can they certainly discerne that true grace and what measure God requireth Besides by this course they will it is to be feared in stead of propagating the Gospel spread heathenisme in stead of gaining to the Church lose from the Church for when the major part are unbaptized as in twenty years undoubtedly they will be by such a course continued what is like to become of it but that either they may goe among their fellow-heathens the Indians or rise up against the Church and break forth into many grievous distempers among themselves which God and the King forbid I pray And that you courteous Reader may perceive I have from time to time dealt cordially in these things by declaring them impartially to my friends as I received light I shall adde in the last place certaine passages out Letters sent by me into England to that purpose and conclude And I doe not this God knoweth as delighting to lay open the infirmities of these well-affected men many of them my friends but that it is necessary at this time for
thus I doubt 1. WHether so much time should be spent in the publique Ordinances on the Sabbath day because that thereby some necessary duties of the Sabbath must needs be hindred as visitation of the sick and poore and family 2. Whether matters of offence should be publiquely handled either before the whole Church or strangers 3. Whether so much time should be spent in particular catechizing those that are admitted to the communion of the Church either men or women or that they should make long speeches or when they come publiquely to be admitted any should speak contradictorily or in recommendation of any unlesse before the Elders upon just occasion 4. Whether the censures of the Church should be ordered in publique before all the Church or strangers other then the denunciation of the censures and pronunciation of the solutions 5. Whether any of our Nation that is not extremely ignorant or scandalous should bee kept from the Communion or his children from Baptisme 6. That many thousands in this Countrey have forgotten the very principles of Religion which they were daily taught in England by set forms and Scriptures read as the Psalmes first and second Lesson the ten Commandments the Creeds and publique catechizings And although conceived Prayer be good and holy and so publike explications and applications of the Word and also necessary both in and out of season yet for the most part it may be feared they dull amaze confound discourage the weake and ignorant which are the most of men when they are in ordinary performed too tediously or with the neglect of the Word read and other premeditated formes inculcated and may tend to more ignorance and inconvenience then many good men are aware of 7. I doubt there hath been and is much neglect of endeavours to teach civilize and convert the Indian Nation that are about the Plantations 8. Whether by the received principles it bee possible to teach civilize or convert them or when they are converted to maintain Gods worship among them 9. That electorie courses will not long be safe here either in Church or Common-wealth 10. That the civill government is not so equally administred nor can be divers orders or by-laws considered 11. That unlesse these things be wisely and in time prevented many of your usefullest men will remove and scatter from you At Boston July 5. 1641. Certain Quaeres about Church government planting Churches and some other Experiments 1. WHether the people should cal the Minister or the Minister a gather the people 2. When a Church is gathered or planted should they not have care in b propagating other Churches in other places next them 3. Whether should not the first Church c visit the later Churches planted by them to see they keepe the faith and order as long as shee remains her selfe in purity of Doctrine and worship 4. How shall a Church propagate and visit other Churches shall they do it by their members ordinary Christians or by their Ministers d or Pastors shall they e intend such propagation or stay till by their numbers increasing they are necessitated to swarme or are persecuted abroad 5. If by their Pastors must there not bee more f Ministers then one in the first Church how else can any be spared to goe abroad about such works upon occasion 6. When they have planted other Churches must not the g first Church take care for the providing of Elders or Ministers for these new planted Churches and h ordain them and sometimes goe i or send some to teach them and uphold the worship of God among them 7. How can any preach unlesse he be k sent and how can he be sent unlesse by imposition of l hands of the Presbytery of the first Church 8. If so hath not the first Church and the Ministers therof Apostlolical m power in these things 9. But have all n Churches and Ministers this power are they able have they learned men enough to o water where they have planted If some should not be of the p Quorum as it were in ordinations and the like what order peace or unity can be expected 10. Againe if all Churches and Ministers have this power equally to exercise the work Apostolicall must they not all then goe or send abroad to convert the Indians and plant Churches and how can all be spared abroad Are all q Apostles all Euangelists where were the body if so 11. Will they not interfiere one upon another and trespasse upon one anothers r line rule or portion which blessed S. Paul condemned in those that entred into his labours 12. When any other s Church besides the t first hath power and ability to propagate and bring forth other Churches may she not doe well so to doe must she not in her fitting line observing peace and holding communion with the first as long as they remain in purity both of them and if a second why not a third and a fourth and so forth to a competent number 13. Whether the first and other Churches also having power and ability thus to propagate the Gospell and plant Churches may not be fitly called prime chief or principall seats of the Church or v chiefe Churches 14. Whether those Churches so gathered in one Kingdome Citie or Principality holding communion together may not be fitly in regard of their unity in Doctrine and worship called the Church of such a Nation or Province u City or Countrey 15. Whether is it probable that the first Church Christian that wee reade of to be at x Hierusalem was onely one congregation or but as many as could meete in one place had they not among them twelve Apostles besides Elders three thousand at once added what ever number there was besides and had they such a large Temple or meeting-houses at their command in those dayes 16. Whether the word Church bee not diversly taken in holy Scripture and sometimes for a civill or uncivill assembly or congression y Acts 19.40 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and when he had thus spoken he dismissed the assembly or Church 17. Whether anciently in England some small assemblyes were not called Churches as every presentative Rectory or Parsonage is called Ecclesia when others that were greater were not so called as no Vicaridge Donative or Chappel is called Ecclesia in our Law 18. Whether the Rector or Parson that is a Presbyter in a Church should being alone rule absolutely by himselfe without the concurrence advise or superiour power of the Evangelisticall z Pastor of the Church who had care in the plantation or erection of the Parsons Church 19. If not should the Vicar Donative Minister or Chaplain 20. But where they have used to rule more absolutely as in some peculiar jurisdictions in England why may they not with the peace and unity of the Church and by good
people of God who now see the tops of things onely may safely condemne the foundations which we have not seen 36. Whether is there not a difference between bare speculation and knowledge joyned with sound experience and betweene the experience of Divines and people reforming from out of some deepe corruptions in Churches called Christian and the experience of those that have conversed in and about planting and building Churches where there was none before or among Heathens what is art many times without experience 37. Whether those Authors from Hierome to Arch-Bishop Adamson that alledge all Presbyters to be equall and should alwayes have equall power and authority had any great skill or will or experience in the propagation of Churches among heathens or barbarous Nations 38. If not whether their Testimony bee of that validity as is thought by some If they had whether they might not erre 39. Whether messengers sent by Churches or Ministers taking upon them to go to gather or plant Churches and to ordain or give the right hand of fellowship to Ministers in those Churches and to appease differences in Church affairs are not Episcopall acts 40. Is Episcopacie or a superintendencie necessary at New-England and is it not necessary in more populous places Are there not some nay many depths and u mysteries in Gods holy Word the Scriptures and certain Catholique interpretations which transgressed the faith is hurt Is it possible convenient or necessary for all men nay all Ministers to attain the knowledge of those mysteries or to have the like measure of knowledge faith mercifulnesse wisdome patience long suffering courage whereby to be enabled to rule in the Church of God whereto they are educated tryed chosen and ordained and do not the sacred rules and Laws of God of holy Church and of this Kingdome attribute much yea very much trust and confidence to the chief Pastors Leaders and Rulers the Fathers of the Church especially to the Bishops of the prime and Metropoliticall Churches by the assistance of and with and under the supreame Magistrate the chiefe the best cement of government though much be also in other members of the great body the Church to counsell maintaine and preserve the whole in the faith soundnesse peace and unity especially the chief leaders when need requireth Hence what government for Christians in chief but by pious learned Provinciall and Diocesan Bishops especialy in England and Ireland By the just examination of the whole those that are pious and learned may easily gather what good reasons I had and have to returne as now humbly I doe to the Church of England for whose peace purity and prosperity is the daily prayer of one of her most unworthy sons Clements Inne Novemb. 16. 1641. Thomas Lechford To a friend Sir HEre is a good Land and yeelding many good commodities especially fish and furs corne and other richer things if well followed and if that popular elections destroy us not It is a good Land I say that instructs us to repentance when we consider what a good Land we came from what good lawes and government we have left to make experiments of governing our selves here by new wayes wherein like young Physitians of necessity we must hurt and spoile one another a great while before we come to such a setled Common-wealth or Church-government as is in England I thank God now I understand by experience that there is no such government for English men or any Nation as a Monarchy nor for Christians as by a lawfull Ministerie under godly Diocesan Bishops deducing their station and calling from Christ and his Apostles in descent or succession a thing of greater consequence then ceremonies would to God I had known it sooner which while I have in my place stood for here these two years and not agreeing to this new discipline impossible to be executed or long continued what I have suffered many here can tell I am kept from the Sacrament and all place of preferment in the Common-wealth and forced to get my living by writing petty things which scarce finds me bread and therefore sometimes I look to planting of corne but have not yet here an house of my owne to put my head in or any stock going Whereupon I was determined to come back but by the over-entreaty of some friends I here think to stay a while longer hoping that the Lord will shortly give a good issue to things both in our native Country and Scotland and here as well as in all other his Majesties dominions I was very glad to see my Lord Bishop of Exeters Book it gave me much satisfaction If the people may make Ministers or any Ministers make others without an Apostolicall Bishop what confusion will there be If the whole Church or every congregation as our good men think have the power of the keyes how many Bishops then shall we have If every Parish or congregation be so free and independent as they terme it what unity can we expect Glad also was I to see Master Balls Book of the tryall of the grounds of Separation both which are newly come over and I hope will work much good among us here And whereas I was sometimes mis-led by those of opinion that Bishops and Presbyters all Ministers are of the same authority When I came to consider the necessary propagation of the truth and government of the Church by experimentall foot-steps here I quickly saw my error For besides if the congregations be not united under one Diocesan in fit compasse they are in a confusion notwithstanding all their classicall pretendments how can the Gospel be propagated to the Indians without an Apostolicall Bishop If any Church or people by the Kings leave send forth Ministers to teach and instruct the poore Indians in the Christian Religion they must have at least Apostolicall power to ordain Ministers or Elders in every congregation among them and when they have so done they have power of Visitation where they plant Nor can they without just cause be thrust out from government without great impiety and where they have planted that is their line or Diocese Thus I came to see that of necessity a Diocese and Bishop Diocesan is very neere if not altogether of Divine authority I am also of opinion that it were good for our Ministers to learne how to doe this work from some of our reverend Bishops in England for I feare our Ministers know not how to goe about it Whether must not some Ministers learne their language It is a copious language as I am informed and they have as many words to expresse one thing as we have And when they teach Indians to pray will they not teach them by a forme and how can Gods worship be maintained among ignorant persons without a forme I am firme of opinion that the best of us have been much beholding to the Word read and formes of Prayer From Boston in N.E. Iulii 28. 1640. This Gentleman