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

to the other Question about Communion and Consociation of Churches Now concerning that it is less needful to produce many Testimonies that there in the Synod Introduceth not any Innovation For some that dissented from the Answer to the first Question about Baptisme yet in this last concurred yea there was an unanimous and universal Assent to the Answer given to this second Question as the Author of the Antisynodalia American● does acknowledge where pag. 12. it is said in the second Question we do fully agree with the rest af the Synod in all the Propositions laid down about it together with the Proofs thereof we shall therefore amongst our New English Worthies only mention the Judgement of Mr. Cotton concerning this Question which what it is may be seen largly expressed in his Book of the Keyes pag. 54 c. And there are those that will remember that when that eminent Minister of Christ Mr. Mitchel was ordained Pastor of the Church in Cambridg Mr. Cotton giving in the Name of the Messengers of Churches the right hand of Fellowship seriously advised him to endeavour And that faithful man was ever mindful of that solemn Advice that that Ordinance of Consociation of Churches might be duly practised greatly bewailing the defect of these Churches as to that particular yea Mr. Cottons heart was much upon this thing in his latter time foreseeing that without it these Churches and the Congregational way could not stand He did therefore not long before his decease draw up some Propositions which are expressive of the way and manner of this Consociation pleaded for which because they are as being written by his hand they cannot but be of great weight and worth we shall therefore here insert and publish them Propositions Concerning Consociation and Communion of Churches tendred to the Elders and Brethren of the Church for their Consideration and acceptance according to God Proposition I. Every true Church of Christ viz. a particular Congregation furnished with a Presly ery and walking in the truth and peace of the Gospel hath received from the Lord Jesus full Power Ecclesiastical within it self both of Liberty to receive her own members to choose her own Officers and the like And also of Authority to Administer Sacraments Censure her own offenders and restore penitents Mat. 18 18 1 Cor 5. Acts 6.2 c. and 14 23. so as this Consociation and Communion of Churches ought not to hinder the exercise of this power but only by Counsel from the word to direct and strengthen their hands in the right Administration thereof upon all just occasions Proposition II. Althought the Apostles of Christ were Independent on each other and had equally the highest Power Ecclesiastical under Christ and were led with Infallible Assistance of the Spirit in the exercise thereof yet Paul with Barnabas and Titus went up to Jerusalem and that by Revelation not only to Confer and Consult with the Apostles about his doctrine left he had or should run in vain Gal 2.1 2. but also Consociated or made Agreement with them by mutual giving the right hand of Fellowship to dispose the Course of their Ministry and Provision for the poor that so they might procure the more free and effectual passage of the fruit of the Gospel and the work of their Ministry and therefore it may seem much rather not only lawful but also very profitable and needful for ordinary Elders and Churches though equal in Power wanting that Infallible Assistance of the Spirit to Comer and Consult and Consociate or agree together about all such weighty matters in which Counsel and Concurrences to avoid Suspition of prejudice and partiality and so to expedite the free passage of the Gospel in the hands of them all Proposition III. If when Peter gave offence at Antioch the Apostle Paul took Liberty to rebuke him before them all though he was his equal in place and power and that no doubt out of that duty of love and faithfulness which he owed unto him and to the truth Peter also submitting thereunto then it may well stand with the equality of Churches out of their duty of Love and Faithfulness to admonish each other in case of publick offence and submit to such admonition from the word in meckness of wisdom as to the will and Authority of Christ and to give such Satisfaction as the Rule doth require Proposition IV. Out of Question the Lord Iesus the boad King and Compassionate high P●●●st and Saviour of his body the Church hath as great a Love and care of the purity Peace and Edisocation of whole Churches as of particular Saints as is evident by those Epistles sent to the Churches of Corinth Galatia and the seven Churches of Asia to heal the publick Errors diffentions and other Corruptions found in them and therefore c●●tainly he hath appointed and sanctified some sufficient meane to preserve their purity and peace to heal and help the evils and distempers of whole Churches as well as of particular Believers Now then since Apostles and other extraordinary Officers are ceased that had power in all Churches and only Love remaineth what other Ecclesiastical help is there left without infringing the power of particular Churches but the Exercise of brotherly Love mutual watchfulness Brotherly Care and Counsel which Elders and Churches ought therefore to practice towards each other in this way of Brotherly Communion and Assistance on all just occasions Proposition V. Upon these and other Scripture grounds and Examples and for the ends above said it is very meet and requisite according to our present practice that when any Company of Christians intend to unite themselves into the Fellowship of a Church or being in a Church state to elect and ordain any Elders over them that in due time they signify their intentions to the Neighbouring Churches walking in the order of the Gospel if such may be had desiring their presence Assistance and right hand of Fellowship that as a Church is a City set upon a Hill so the Acts thereof may not be as a Light put under a Bushel but may so shine forth to all other Churches beholding and approving their order●y proceedings as they may the more readily give them the right hand of Fellowship and walk with more freedom of Spirit in Brotherly Love and Communion with them in the Lord. Proposition VI. In such matters of publick Censure wherein through the obscenity and difficulty thereof or otherwise there doth arise differences tending to dangerous Divisions and distractions in the Church or offence to other Churches In all such Ca●es it is meet and requisite that the Church proceed advis●d●y with the Counsel and Concurrence of the Elder or Elders with other Judicious and impartial Breth●●● of other Churches clearing up from the Word what is the mind and will of Christ to be done Proposition VII Not only in matters of Censure but also in other Cases of Doctrine or practice wherein for want of Light or of the

unfit to partake in the Seal of the Covenant c. He replies in these words Though they be not fit to make such profession of visible faith as to admit them to the Lords Table yet they may make profession full enough to receive them to Baptisme or to the same estate Is●mael stood in after Circumcission And to one who complained of being in the dark about the truth asserted in Mr. Cottons printed Book concerning the Baptisme of Infants and that amongst other made this Objection when said that Scrupler a child comes to know that his Parents are no visible Saints but appear to be contrary both in Life and Doctrine and the children had only words and water poured on them how came these persons to have right to it the Parents having no visible faith to act in that Ordinance and their children likewise being uncapable to hold forth the acts of faith before men He thus Answereth Ieroboam and his wife were neither of them visible Saints in your Sense but appeared to be contrary both in Life and Doctrine yet the Circumcision of their Son was not in vain to him 1 Kings 14.13 In this Case when the faith of the Parents is wanting and yet they still live within the Pale of the Church though the Church be Corrupt and the Parents also yet here the Speech of the Apostle takes place what though some believed not shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect God forbid Rom. 3. 3 4. now the Faithfulness of God who keepeth Covenant and mercy to thousands supplies the defect of the Faith of the next Parents and maketh good his Covenant to the Children in respect of the Faith of their former Ancestors in Elder Ages But against this s●me may object a passage in Mr. Cottons Book of the way of the Chu●ches pag. 81. where it is said where neither of the Parents can claim right to the Lords Supper their Infants cannot claim right to B●ptisme therefore it m●y seem that Mr. Cottons Iudgement was not as ha●h been now declared Unto this let the judicious Re●der attentively hear the Answer which is 1. In that very Book of Mr. Cottons there are sundry passages which plead for an Enlargement of Baptisme further then to the Immediate Children of persons in full Communion even to the Children of such Parents who have such a faith as denominateth them Christian Believers in opposition to Pagan Infidels yea if there be a Christian Sponsor for the Child of a Stranger or wicked man it may be baptized see the way pag 87. 88. 106 115. 2dly That Book of the way was printed from an imperfect Copy in which respect it is not to be wond●ed at if there be therein some passages contradictory to Mr. Cottons known Iudgement 3. Mr. Co●ton himself was much troubled when he saw that Book come forth and was desirous that the Reader should understand that his Judgement in such things wherein the Book of the way is discrepant from that of the Keyes should be sought for not in the Book of the way but in that of the Keys And that no one may think that these things are Imaginary or conjectural only let us hear Mr. Cotton speaking in his own words in his printed defence against the Imputations of Mr. Cawdrey written not long before his death and Published by Doctor Owen In which Book pag. 36. 37 38 39. The truth is saith Mr. Cotton that many years ago I was seriously moved by some of our Brethren and Fellow Elders here to draw up an Historical narration of our Church way together with some familiar Grounds of the same briefly In short time as God helped I dispatched it which when our Brethren had perused it I saw they did not close with it yet a Brother going for England got some where a Copy of it and presented it to some of the Congregational way there and I afterwards heard neither did they close with it and in particular not with that passage which is here recited which since appeareth more openly by the Asterisk put upon that passage and upon sundry other in the Book but before I saw that and had only heard that they did not fully accord I hoped that it had met with a timely Suppression rather then an Impression for I heard no more of it for two or three years after mean while perceiving that one main point of dissatisfaction was the Authority given to the Fraternity I consiered more se●iously and distinctly of the whole power of the Keys and expressed my apprehensions in that treatise of the Keys which our Brethren here did well accept and so did the Brethren of like Judgement in England and some of them were pleased to arrest it with the Preface that is now Extant before it This was sundry years after the Treatise of the way had been finished and carryed to England and as I hoped suppressed but it seemeth some Brother there caused his Copy which was indeed abrupt in the Entrance and imperfect otherwise to be published in print which when I saw it troubled me not a little as knowing that the discrepant Expressions in the one and in the other might trouble Friends and give Advantages to Adversaries I suffered both to stand as they did especially seeing I could not help it the Book of the way being published without my Consent and both the way and the Keys past my revoking so that if the Replier find some discrepancy in one of these Books from the other Let him know that the Doctrine of the way in such few points wherein it differs from the Keys was not mine when the Keys was published much less when the way was published which was many years after though it had been penned many years before Thus much may suffice for the clearing of Mr. Cottons Judgement concerning the Subject of Baptisme In the same year and in the same Vessel with Mr. Cotton came into this Country that famous Mr. Thomas Hooker late Pastor of the Church in Hartford upon Connecticot Now that in Mr. Hookers Judgement the Children concerning whom the Question is have a continued standing and membership in the visible Church upon which hinge the Controversy about the Enlargement of the Subject of Baptisme turns is evident from a passage in his most Judicious and accurate Survey of Church Discipline in which Book pag. 4● are these words in some Cases saith Mr. Hooker an Implicit Covenant may be fully Sufficient as Suppose a whole Congregation should consist of such who were Child on to the Parents now deceased who were Confederate their children were true members according to the Rules of the Gospel by professing of their Fathers Covenant though they should not make any personal and vocal Expression of their Engagement as the Fathers did Also he lays it down for a Maxim that faederati sunt baptizandi proving by several Arguments that Confederates are the proper Subject of Baptisme see in the same Book part