the whole Church of God and themselves as I take it Besides many of the things are not infirmities but such as I am bound to protest against yet I acknowledge there are some wise men among them who would help to mend things if they were able and I hope will do their endeavours And I think that wiser men then they going into a wildernesse to set up another strange government differing from the setled government here might have falne into greater errors then they have done Neither have I the least aime to retard or hinder an happy and desired reformation of things amisse either in Church or Common-wealth but daily and earnestly pray to God Almighty the God of Wisdome and Counsell that he please so to direct his Royall Majesty and his wise and honourable Counsell the high Court of Parliament that they may fall upon so due and faire a moderation as may be for the glory of God and the peace and safety of his Royall Majesty and all his Majesties dominions and good Subjects Vale Clements Inne Jan. 17. 1641. Thomas Lechford A TABLE of the chiefe Heads of this DISCOURSE 1. THe Church-government and administrations in the Bay of the Mattachusets Page 2. 2. Their publique worship 16 3. Touching the government of the Common-wealth there 23 4. Certaine Propositions to the generall Court concerning recording of Civill Causes 29 5. A Paper of the Church her liberties 31 6. A Paper intended for the Worshipfull John Winthrop Esquire late Governour touching baptizing of those they terme without and propagation of the Gospel to the Infidel Natives 34 7. The Ministers and Magistrates their names 37 8. The state of the Countrey in the Bay and thereabouts 47 9. A relation concerning the Natives or Indians 49 10. Some late occurrences touching Episcopacie 53 11. Three Questions to the Elders of Boston and their Answers 55 12. A Paper of exceptions to their government 56 13. Forty quaeres about planting and governing of Churches and other experiments 58 14. An abstract of certaine Letters 68 15. The Conclusion 78 Plaine dealing OR NEWES FROM NEW-ENGLAND HAving been forth of my native Countrey almost for the space of foure yeeres last past and now through the goodnesse of Almighty God returned many of my friends desiring to know of me the manner of governments and state of things in the place from whence I came New England I thinke good to declare my knowledge in such things as briefly as I may I conceive and hope it may be profitable in these times of disquisition For the Church government and administrations in the Bay of the Mattachusets A Church is gathered there after this maner A convenient or competent number of Christians allowed by the generall Court to plant together at a day prefixed come together in publique manner in some fit place and there confesse their sins and professe their faith one unto another and being satisfied of one anothers faith repentance they solemlny enter into a Covenant with God and one an other which is called their Church Covenant and held by them to constitute a Church to this effect viz. To forsake the Devill and all his workes and the vanities of the sinfull world and all their former lusts and corruptions they have lived and walked in and to cleave unto and obey the Lord Jesus Christ as their onely King and Law-giver their onely Priest and Prophet and to walke together with that Church in the unity of the faith and brotherly love and to submit themselves one unto an other in all the ordinances of Christ to mutuall edification and comfort to watch over and support one another Whereby they are called the Chruch of such a place which before they say were no Church nor of any Church except the invisible After this they doe at the same time or some other all being together elect their own Officers as Pastor Teacher Elders Deacons if they have fit men enough to supply those places else as many of them as they can be provided of Then they set another day for the ordination of their said officers and appoint some of themselves to impose hands upon their officers which is done in a publique day of fasting and prayer Where there are Ministers or Elders before they impose their hands upon the new Officers But where there is none there some of their chiefest men two or three of good report amongst them though not of the Ministery doe by appointment of the said Church lay hands upon them And after the said ordination if there are any Elders of other Churches present as of late I have knowne divers have been present under the names of the Messengers of the Churches they give the new Officers the right hand of fellowship taking them by the right hand every one severally or else sometimes one forraine Elder in the name of all the rest gives the right hand of fellowship with a set speech unto them Notice is given in divers Churches or other places before-hand of the gathering of every Church divers weeks before and so also of every ordination And some Ministers or others as Messengers from other Churches are usually present at such gatherings of Churches and ordinations For sometimes Magistrates Captains Gentlemen and other meaner Brethren are made messengers of Churches for those and other purposes never having had imposition of hands And at planting of a Church or gathering as they tearme it one of the Church messengers of forraine Churches examines and tries the men to be moulded into a Church discerns their faith and repentance and their Covenant being before ready made written subscribed and here read and acknowledged hee decerns and pronounceth them to be a true Church of Christ and gives them the right hand of fellowship and all this in the name of Christ and of all the Church-messengers present and their Churches so did Master Weld at the founding of Weymouth Church or to this effect And the generall Court will not allow of any Church otherwise gathered Some Ministers have there heretofore as I have heard disclaimed the power of their Ministery received in England but others among them have not Generally for the most part they hold the Pastors and Teachers offices to be distinct the Teacher to minister a word of knowledg the Pastor a word of wisdome but some hold them all one as in the Church of Watertowne there are two Pastors neither will that Church send any messengers to any other Church-gathering or ordination When a man or woman commeth to joyne unto the Church so gathered he or shee commeth to the Elders in private at one of their houses or some other place appointed upon the weeke dayes and make knowne their desire to enter into Church-fellowship with that Church and then the ruling Elders or one of them require or aske him or her if he bee willing to make known unto them the worke of grace upon their soules
or how God hath beene dealing with them about their conversion which at Boston the man declareth usually standing the woman sitting And if they satisfie the Elders and the private assembly for divers of the Church both men and women meet there usually that they are true beleevers that they have beene wounded in their hearts for their originall sinne and actuall transgressions and can pitch upon some promise of free grace in the Scripture for the ground of their faith and that they finde their hearts drawne to beleeve in Christ Jesus for their justification and salvation and these in the ministerie of the Word reading or conference and that they know competently the summe of Christian faith And sometimes though they be not come to a full assurance of their good estate in Christ Then afterwards in covenient time in the publique assembly of the Church notice is given by one of the ruling Elders that such a man or woman by name desireth to enter into Church-fellowship with them and therefore if any know any thing or matter of offence against them for their unfitnesse to joyne with them such are required to bring notice thereof to the Elders else that any who know them or can say any thing for their fitnesse be ready to give testimony thereof when they shall be called forth before the whole Church If there be matter of offence it is first heard before the Elders and if the party satisfie them and the offended in private for private offences and promise to satisfie in publique for publique offences then upon another day one of the ruling Elders calleth forth the party by name in the publique assembly of the Church and before strangers and whomsoever present most commonly upon the Lords day after evening exercises and sometimes upon a week day when all the Church have notice to be present The party appearing in the midst of the Assembly or some convenient place the ruling Elder speaketh in this manner Brethren of this congregation this man or woman A. B. hath been heretofore propounded to you desiring to enter into Church-fellowship with us and we have not since that heard any thing from any of you to the contrary of the parties admittance but that we may goe on to receive him Therefore now if any of you know any thing against him why he may not be admitted you may yet speak Then after some silence he proceedeth Seeing no man speaketh to the contrary of his admission if any of you know any thing to speak for his receiving we desire you give testimony thereof to the Church as you were also formerly desired to be ready therewith and expresse your selves as briefly as you may and to as good hearing Whereupon sometimes men do speak to the contrary in case they have not heard of the propounding and so stay the party for that time also till this new offence be heard before the Elders so that sometimes there is a space of divers moneths between a parties first propounding and receiving and some are so bashfull as that they choose rather to goe without the Communion then undergoe such * publique confessions and tryals but that is held their fault But when none speaketh to the contrary then some one two or three or more of the Brethren speak their opinions of the party giving instances in some godlinesse and good conversation of his or some other recommendation is made and that they are willing if the Church thereto consent for their part to give him the right hand of fellowship Which done the Elder turneth his speech to the party to be admitted and requireth him or sometimes asketh him if he be willing to make knowne to the congregation the work of grace upon his soule and biddeth him as briefly and audibly to as good hearing as he can to doe the same Thereupon the party if it be a man speaketh himselfe but if it be a woman her confession made before the Elders in private is most usually in Boston Church read by the Pastor who registred the same At Salem the women speake themselves for the most part in the Church but of late it is said they doe this upon the week dayes there and nothing is done on Sunday but their entrance into Covenant The man in a solemne speech sometimes a quarter of an houre long shorter or longer declareth the work of grace in his soule to the same purpose as that before the Elders formerly mentioned Then the Elder requireth the party to make profession of his faith which also is done either by questions and answers if the party be weake or else in a solemne speech according to the summe and tenour of the Christian faith laid downe in the Scriptures defining faith and shewing how it is wrought by the Word and Spirit of God defining a Church to be a company of beleevers gathered out of the world by the Word preached and holy Spirit and knit together by an holy Covenant that there are in the Church remaining such and such officers and members as aforesaid That is to say Pastors and Teachers ruling Elders Deacons and Deaconesses or Widowes and such and such are their offices and duties in particular viz. the Pastor to exhort and besides to rule the Teacher to instruct in knowledge and likewise to rule the ruling Elder to assist Pastor and Teacher in ruling as the Levites were given to the Priests for helps and to see to whomsoever comming into or to goe forth of the Church by admonition or excommunication the Deacon to receive the contributions of the Church and faithfully to dispose the same the Deaconesses to shew mercie with chearfulnesse and to minister to the sick and poore brethren the members all to watch over and support one an other in brotherly love Notwithstanding there was a Sermon lately made by Master Cotton in October Anno 1640. upon 1 Cor. 11.19 touching heresies which was since commonly there called the Sermon of the twelve Articles wherein was declared that there are twelve Articles of Religion which maintained by any the Church may receive them and keepe fellowship with them but the ignorant of them after instruction and scandalous sins unrepented exclude from the fellowship of the Church The said Articles were to this effect First that there are three Persons in one God the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit Secondly that this God made and governs all the World and that he is a rewarder of the good and punisher of the evill Thirdly that this God alone is to be worshiped Fourthly this worship of God is instituted in his written Word not the precepts of men Fiftly that from the fall of Adam we have not so worshiped God but have all sinned and deprived our selves of the reward promised and therefore are under the curse by nature Sixthly that we are by nature utterly unable to rescue our selves from this curse Seventhly that
He was forced to goe away from thence with his wife and children There are also in this Patent divers other Plantations as Sandwich Situate Duxbury Greenes-harbour and Yarmouth Ministers there are master Leveridge master Blackwood master Mathews and master Andrew Hallet a School-master Master Saxton also who was comming away when we did At the Island called Aquedney are about two hundred families There was a Church where one master Clark was Elder The place where the Church was is called Newport but that Church I heare is now dissolved as also divers Churches in the Country have been broken up and dissolved through dissention At the other end of the Island there is another towne called Portsmouth but no Church there is a meeting of some men who there teach one another and call it Prophesie These of the Island have a pretended civill government of their owne erection without the Kings Patent There lately they whipt one master Gorton a grave man for denying their power and abusing some of their Magistrates with uncivill tearmes the Governour master Coddington saying in Court You that are for the King lay hold on Gorton and he againe on the other side called forth All you that are for the King lay hold on Coddington whereupon Gorton was banished the Island so with his wife and children he went to Providence They began about a small trespasse of swine but it is thought some other matter was ingredient At Providence which is twenty miles from the said Island lives master Williams and his company of divers opinions most are Anabaptists they hold there is no true visible Church in the Bay nor in the world nor any true Ministerie This is within no Patent as they say but they have of late a kind of government also of their owne erection One master Blakeston a Minister went from Boston having lived there nine or ten yeares because he would not joyne with the Church he lives neere master Williams but is far from his opinions There are five or six townes and Churches upon the River Connecticot where are worthy master Hooker master Warham master Hewet and divers others and master Fenwike with the Lady Boteler at the rivers mouth in a faire house and well fortified and one master Higgison a young man their Chaplain These plantations have a Patent the Lady was lately admitted of master Hookers Church and thereupon her child was baptized The Lady Moody lives at Lynne but is of Salem Church shee is good Lady almost undone by buying master Humphries farme Swampscot which cost her nine or eleven hundred pounds Beyond Connecticott are divers plantations as New-haven alias Quinapeag where master Davenport is Pastor and one master Iames a Schoole-master and another where master Whitfield is and another where master Pridgeon is and some others almost reaching to the Dutch plantation southward Among these are my old acquaintance master Roger Ludlow master Frost sometime of Nottingham and his sonnes Iohn Grey and Henry Grey the Lord in his goodnesse provide for them they have a Minister whose name I have forgotten if it be not master Blackwell I do not know what Patent these have Long Island is begun to be planted and some two Ministers are gone thither or to goe as one master Peirson and master Knowles that was at Dover alias Northam A Church was gathered for that Island at Lynne in the Bay whence some by reason of straitnesse did remove to the said Island and one master Simonds heretofore a servant unto a good gentlewoman whom I know was one of the first Founders Master Peter of Salem was at the gathering and told me the said master Henry Simonds made a very cleare confession Notwithstanding he yet dwels at Boston and they proceed on but slowly The Patent is granted to the Lord Starling but the Dutch claime part of the Island or the whole for their plantation is right over against and not far from the South end of the said Isle And one Lieutenant Howe pulling downe the Dutch Arms on the Isle there was like to be a great stir what ever may become of it The Dutch also claime Quinapeag and other parts At Northam alias Pascattaqua is master Larkham Pastor One master H. K. was also lately Minister there with master Larkham They two fell out about baptizing children receiving of members buriall of the dead and the contention was so sharp that master K. and his party rose up and excommunicated master Larkham and some that held with him And further master Larkham flying to the Magistrates master K. and a Captaine raised Armes and expected helpe from the Bay master K. going before the troop with a Bible upon a poles top and he or some of his party giving forth that their side were Scots and the other English Whereupon the Gentlemen of Sir Ferdinando Gorges plantation came in and kept Court with the Magistrates of Pascattaqua who have also a Patent being weake of themselves And they fined all those that were in Armes for a Riot by Indictment Jury and Verdict formally Nine of them were censured to be whipt but that was spared Master K. and the Captain their leaders were fined 100. l. a piece which they are not able to pay To this broyle came master Peter of Salem and there gave his opinion at Northam that the said excommunication was a nullity Master Thomas Gorgs sonne of Captain Gorgs of Batcombe by Chedder in Somersetshire is principall Commissioner for the Province of Maigne under Sir Ferdinando but he was not at that Court at Northham himselfe Master Wards sonne is desired to come into the Province of Maigne There is one master Ienner gone thither of late There is want of good Ministers there the place hath had an ill report by some but of late some good acts of Justice have been done there and divers Gentlemen there are and it is a Countrey very plentifull for fish fowle and venison Not farre from Northam is a place called Exeter where master Wheelwright hath a small Church And at Cape Anne where fishing is set forward and some stages builded there one master Rashley is Chaplain for it is farre off from any Church Rashley is admitted of Boston Church but the place lyeth next Salem and not very far further from Ipswich The Isle of Shoales and Richmonds Isle which lie neere Pasquattaqua and good fishing places About one hundred and fifty leagues from Boston Eastward is the Isle of Sables whither one Iohn Webb alias Evered an active man with his company are gone with commission from the Bay to get Sea-horse teeth and oyle Eastward off Cape Codd lyeth an Island called Martins Vineyard uninhabited by any English but Indians which are very savage Northward from the Bay or Northeast lyeth the French plantation who take up bever there and keepe strict government boarding all
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