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 wedesire 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-England have with the manifestation of their faith and profession of holiness 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 â—orth 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 notbe 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 nor 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. Noyce who are Ministers of the Church at Nâ—wberry 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 baptize 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 Iune 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 affimatively 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 of 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 Government at their libertie walking peaceably towards us as wee trusted we should doe towards them So that if our brethren here shall bee restrained they walking peaceably the example must not be taken from us but arise 〈◊〉 some other principle But it will not bee objected though you deale thus with the Presbyterian way yet you have a severe law against Anaâ—aptists yea one was whipt at Massachusets for his Religion and your law banisheth them Answ. 'T is true the Massachusets Governement have such a law as to banish but not to whip in that kinde And certaine men desiring some mitigation of it It was answered in my hearing 'T is true we have a severe law but wee never did or will execute the rigour of it upon any and have men living amongst us nay some in our Churches of that judgement and as long as they carry themselves peaceably as hitherto they doe wee will leave them to God our selves having performed the duty of brethren to them And whereas there was one whipt amongst us 't is true wee knew his judgement what it was but had hee not carried himselfe so contemptuously towards the Authority God hath betrusted us with in an high exemplary measure wee had never so censured him and therefore he may thank himself
the price of a wife and safetie of his owne life adjoyned carryed a Minister along with them of the same rise and breeding together with your owne to adde unto the blood so savagely and causelesly spilt with a company of such as you take pleasure to protect for they are all of one spirit if they have not hands in the same act we say their death is causelesse for wee have heard them affirm that shee would never heave up a hand no nor move a tongue against any that persecuted or troubled them but onely indeavour to save themselves by flight not perceiving the nature and end of persecution neither of that antichristian opposition and tyrannie the issue whereof declares it self in this soâ— and lamentable Note good Reader that I had order to publish these two Letters of his as well literatim as verbatim but because their Orthography was so bad as it would scarce have been understood I left it to bee corrected by the Printer but no word to be changed And the reason of the word here left out is because it was worne out and so soyled in the originall as wee could not read it and thought good rather to leave it a blanck then to put in a word of our own that was not theirs In the next place I present thee here with certaine Observations collected out of both their Letters by a godly and reverend Divine whereby the Reader may the better understand them and indeed try the spirits of these men whether they be of God or no. Now these his Observations are ranked into three Heads Viz. First their reproachfull and reviling speeches of the Government and Magistrates of the Massachusets which in Gortons Booke hee pretends so much to honour because their Government is derived from the State of England and therefore I desire thee to take the better notice of it The second Head of his Observations directs thee to their reviling language not onely against that particular Government and the Magistrates of it but against Magistracy it selfe and all Civill power And in his third Head thou art directed to take notice of their blasphemous speeches against the holy things of God All which because they are of great concernment I beseech the Reader to take a little paines to compare them with Mr. Gortons and his Companies Letters Certaine Observations collected out of both their LETTERS I. Their reproachfull and reviling Speeches of the Government and Magistrates of the Massachusets 1. THey say our Magistrates did lay their Wisdome prostrate in sending Letters to them which they scornfully call an irregular Note 2. That they bare them causlesse enmity the proofe whereof every occasion brings forth 3. They flily call them the seed of the ancient mother i. of the enmity of the Devill 4. That they know it is the name of Christ call'd upon them against which our Magistrates doe strive 5 That they goe about to hide their sin as Adam bearing the world in hand that they desire not to contend but to redresse something in point of Civill peace 6 That they stand on tip-toe to stretch themselves beyond their bounds to seek occasion against them 7 That those who accuse them are accusers of the Brethren Satan being a lyer and the father of it which thing our Magistrates cannot know though they be told of it 8 That this act of theirs to treat about their land is a mappe of their spirituall estate 9 That they delight daily to eate of the forbidden fruit which they call mans wisdome out of which our Churches and Common-wealth is formed to gaine conformity with their maker 10 They scorn at their purity and godlinesse telling them that Cole and Arnold their dissembling subjects are full of the spirit of their purity 11 They doe not say plainly that our Magistrates are dogs but compare them to dogs in resuming their vomit into its former concoction by receiving Cole and Arnold under our jurisdiction 12 That the whole structure and edifice among us i. the Churches and Common-wealth is raised up in the spirit of an hireling and that by submission to the Word of God in fasting feast-sting retirednesse for study contributing treasuring i. for Church uses in severall Churches they doe nothing else but bring forth fruit unto death 13 That farther then the Lord Jesus agrees with riches honour and ease our Magistrates minde him not nay renounce and reject him 14 That they plainely crucifie Christ and put him to an open shame which the Apostle Hebr. 6. applies to the worst of men who commit the unpardonable sin and for whom men are not to pray 15 That our Magistrates are as farre from yeelding subjection to Christ as Cole and Arnold from being honourable and loyall-subjects whom they call the shame of Religion the disturbance and disquiet of the place dissembling subjects Pag. 10. as also deboist rude inhumane Nabals il-bred apostatised persons and fellonious Page 23. with many such like speeches 16 That the things of Gods kingdome are infinitely beyond the reach of their spirit nor can they heare the lively Oracle and therefore are dumb in telling Justice 17 That the Magistrates are Jewes according to the flesh and stout maintainers of the man of Sin 18 That they know our Magistrates eyes are dazled with envy and their ears open to lyes 19 That they judge them before their cause be heard 20 That in inviting them to their Courts for their equal-ballanced Justice as they scornfully call it they thereby strike at Christ their life 21 That our Magistrates are like Herod whom God smote with wormes for seeking by an out-reaching and circumventing policy to subdue Tyrus and Sidon and like Pontius Pilate and the people who out of the Judgement hall are all for mercy but in it nothing but crucifie him bee their accusations and witnesses never so false so say they in your dealings with men in way of the Jewish brotherhood your law is all for mercy to redresse reforme for preservation of soule and body doe but enter into the Common-hall then if witnesses bee but brought in and oath taken though never so untrue your Consciences are purged by law and your power must have tribute paid it so far as to brand mens names with infamy and deprive women and children of things necessary 22 That the professed clemency and mercy of their law is as much as in them lyes to send both soule and body downe to Sheol i. the grave and hell for ever without redresse and all hope of recovery 23 That their houre and power of darknesse is knowne what it is either to have mens persons in admiration because of advantage or else to seek all occasions against them with all manner of reproach and ignominie 24 That their wayes are wicked and to bee abhorred because in their professed course the two witnesses are slaine by them and put to death and that all their glory is to keep
men these wee say are the two witnesses if you can receive it and what a dishonour is it to trade so much by meanes of witnesses and yet not know what a true witnesse is which if you did you durst not attempt the things you doe whereby you cast reproach upon all the world in that you professe your selves a choice people pickt out of it and yet goe on in such practices as you doe maintaining them as your onely glory Our Lord gives you in charge not to sweare at all but it is your dignity to bring men to your seates of Justice with nothing but oathes in their mouthes why doe you not ballance the scriptures in this point viz. It hath beene said of old Thou shalt not committ adultery but I say unto you hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart already so also it hath beene sayd of old Thou shalt not forsweare thy self but I say unto you sweare not at all so that if it be adulterie to looke to lust it is also forswearing a mans self to sweare at all if the one be adultery the other is perjury if one be admitted in some cases the other also so that in preaching the toleration nay the duty of an oath you preach the toleration yea the duty of adulterie it self So that our Lord plainly evinceth unto all mens consciences not onely the guilt but the folly and madnesse of the oath of man shewing how farre it is either from investing into place or demonstrating Causes so that hee that concludeth upon honour and power received from the oath of man or upon knowledge and bouldness to judge in a cause from that testimony without the which he could not have it is as vaine in his thoughts as if hee should herupon conclude I have now altered the frame of heaven which is no less stable then the throne of the great God or demolished the earth which is as firme as his foot-stoole for ever or made a fraction in the orders of Ierusalem that choice and peculiar City of the great King whose institutions no mortall breath can intrench upon or to professe his authority and skill to be such whereby he can make a haire of his head blacke or white cause his age to wax old as doth a garment or renew it with the Eagle at his pleasure hereby doth man in this point of swearing professe his folly to bee such that hee is become not onely-vaine in his imaginations but unto that pride and usurpation therein as to intrude himselfe into the prerogative royall of his Maker So that however you boast of the Ordinances of God yet he tels you there is no more then yea yea and nay nay in them for what is once nay is ever nay in the Ordination of Christ and what is once yea is ever yea with him and according to his account however man reckoneth whose account shall be called over againe what is once curse is ever the curse and what is once the principality and power of Christ is ever the principality and power of Christ as that which is once the principality and power of Darkenesse is ever the same what hands soever it cometh into for manifestation measure your kingdome whether it bee eternall and your Jurisdiction whether it bee illimited for he hath given him the heathen for his inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for his possession and a kingdome of lesse extent hee professeth not nor can hee approve or acknowledge any that doe no more then light can approve of darkenesse or the Lord Iehovah of the Lord Baâ—l Bee wise therefore and bethinke your selves while it is called to day harden not your hearts as though you would make your selves Meriba nothing but strife and contention against the Lord rather kisse the sonne if it bee possible lest his wrath bee kindled and you perish from the way for ever O blessed onely they that hope in him So that hee which professeth on this wife it is yea I am a pastour but it was nay at such a time I was none hee renounceth that spirit of the true pastour yet onely feeder of Israel professing onely that spirit that pusheth the weake with the horne and pudleth with his feet the waters where the flocke of God should drinke Hee with whom it is yea I am a Ruler but it was nay when I was none at all renounceth that spirit of him that rules in righteousnesse professing the spirit of him that rules according to the god of this world that Prince of the power of the Aire who is now working so effectually in the children of disobedience So also hee with whom it is yea I am a Captaine or chiefe slaughter-man but it was nay time was I was none at all renounceth that victorie and slaughter made by the Captaine and High-priest of our profession who as hee is a Lambe slaine from the beginning his victory and slaughter must bee of the same antiquity professing himselfe to bee a chiefe slaughter-man or superâ—â—uous Giant made in that hoast of the Philistims standing in readinesse to come out to defie the hoast of the living God yea it is evident that whatsoever is more then yea yea and nay nay not settlingeach upon its Base whereon it standeth for ever without controule but can remove create or make void offices and officers at their pleasure is of that evill or not of Jesus the salvation of his people but of Shedim that waster and destroyer of mankinde for ever know therefore that it is the oath of God which confirmes and makes good his Covenant and promise unto a thousand generations and it is the oath of man which is the bond and obligation of that league and agreement made with death and hell for ever bee yee assured it is not the tabernacle of witnes which you have amongst you brought in by Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles but it is Siccuth your King or the tabernacle of Molâ—ck the starre of your God Remphan figures which you have made unto your selves which you have taken up and are bearing so stoutly upon your shoulders Now to tell you what an oath according to God is that the scriptures are delivered upon no other ground or termes of certainty where ever they are divolged is a thing out of your jurisdiction you cannot discerne or judge of it therefore according to our word above wee leave it as a parable unto you as all the holy word of our God is as your conversation in all points as in this daily declareth In a word when wee have to doe in your jurisdiction we know what it is to submit to the wise dispensations of our God when you have to doe amongst us in the liberties hee hath given unto us wee doubt not but you shall finde him judge amongst us beyond and above any cause or thing you can propose unto us And let that suffice you and
Secondly they that went should freely offer themselves Thirdly if the major part went the Pastor to goe with them if not the Elder onely Fourthly if the Lord should srowne upon our proceedings then those that went to returne and the Brethren that remained still there to assist and bee helpfull to them but if God should bee pleased to favour them that went then they also should endeavour to helpe over such as were poore and ancient and willing to come these things being agreed the major part stayed and the Pastor with them for the present but all intended except a very few who had rather wee would have stayed to follow after The minor part with Mr. Brewsâ—er their Elder resolved to enter upon this great work but take notice the difference of number was not great And when the Ship was ready to carry us away the Brethren that stayed having againe solemnly sought the Lord with us and for us and we further engaging our selves mutually as before they I say that stayed at Leyden feasted us that were to goe at our Pastors house being large where wee refreshed our selves after our teares with singing of Psalmes making joyfull melody in our hearts as well as with the voice there being many of the Congregation very expert in Musick and indeed it was the sweetest melody that ever mine eares heard After this they accompanyed us to Delphs Haven where wee were to imbarque and there feasted us againe and after prayer performed by our Pastor where a â—â—ood of teares was poured out they accompanyed us to the Ship but were not able to speake one to another for the abundance of sorrow to part but wee onely going aboard the Ship lying to the Key and ready to set sayle the winde being faire wee gave them a vâ—lley of small shot and three peeces of Ordinance and so lifting up our hands to each other and our hearts for each other to the Lord our God we departed and found his presence with us in the midst of our manifold straits hee carryed us thorow And if any doubt this relation the Dutch as I heare at Delphs Haven preserve the memory of it to this day and will inform them But falling with Cape Cod which is in New-England and standing to the Southward for the place wee intended wee met with many dangers and the Mariners put back into the Harbouâ— of the Cape which was the 11. of November 1620 where considering Winter was come the Seas dangerous the season cold the winds high and being well furnished for a Plantation we entered upon discovery and setled at Plymouth where God being pleased to preserve and enable us wee that went were at a Thousand pounds charge in sending for our Brethren that were behinde and in providing there for them till they could reape a crop of their owne labours And so good Reader I have given thee a true and faithfull account though very briefe of our proceedings wherein thou seest how a late Writer and those that informed himâ— have wronged our enterprise And truly what I have written is far short of what it was omitting for brevity sake many circumstances as the large offerâ— the Dutch offered us either to have removed into Zealand and there lived with them or if we would go on such adventures to goe under them to Hudsons River where they have since a great plantation c. and how they would freely have transported us and furnished every family with cattle c. Also the English Merchants that joyned with us in this expedition whom wee since bought out which is fitter for an History then an answer to such an Objection I trust will be accomplished in good time By all which the Reader may see there was no breach between us that went and the brethren that stayed but such love as indeed is seldome found on earth And for the many plantations that come â—ver to us upon notice of Gods blessing upon us whereas 't is falsly said they tooke Plimouth for their president as fast as they came 'T is true I conâ—esse that some of the chiefe of them advised with us comming over to be freed from the burthen some ceremonies then imposed in England how they should doe to fall upon a right platforme of worship and desired to that end since God had honoured us to lay the foundation of a Common-weale and to settle a Church in it 〈◊〉 shew them whereupon our practice was grounded and if they found upon due search it was built upon the Word they should be willing to take up what was of God We accordingly shewed them the Primitive practice for our warrant taken out of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles written to the severall Churches by the said Apostles together with the Commandements of Christ the Lord in the Gospell and other our warrants for every particular wee did from the booke of God Which being by them well weighed and considered they also entred into Covenant with God and one with another to walke in all his wayes revealed or as they should bee made knowne unto them and to worship him according to his will revealed in his written word onely c. So that here also thou maist see they set not the Church at Plimouth before them for example but the Primitive Churches were and are their and our mutuall patternes and examples which are onely worthy to be â—ollowed having the blessed Apostles amongst them which were sent immediately by Christ himselfe and enabled and guided by the unerring Spirit of God And truly this is a patternesit to bâ—e followed of all that feare God and no man or men to bee followed further then they follow Christ and them Having thus briefly shewed that the foundation of our 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-England have in their eye not following Luther Calvin Knoxe Aiâ—worth 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 Bromnists rigid Separatists c. having Mr. Robinson for their Pastor who-made and to the last prosessed separation from other the Churches of Christ c. And the rest of the Churches in New-England holding communion with that Church are to bee reputed such as they are For anâ—were to this aspersion First he that knew Mr. Robinson either by his Doctâ—ine daily taught or hath read his Apology published not long before his death or