1630.] CHURCH, ORDER. 31 As to the government of the church, they held the power to be in each particular church, to receive and exclude members, and to choose and ordain officers, though they would act in fellowship with sister churches. As to officers, they held to having pastors, ruling elders, and deacons. Their ruling elders were to have the gifts of public teachers, but not to administer the ordinances of baptism and the holy supper. Such was Mr. William Brewster, from their first coming to this land, until he died in 1644. They also held that every brother in the church might improve his gifts in public teaching, if he had gifts that could edify the brethren, to whom they were to be subject. Some of their proofs for it were these: One apostle says, "he that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. And ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." 1 Cor. xiv. 3. 31. And another says, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. iv. 10, 11.* Though they took much pains, yet they never obtained a pastor here, until Mr. Ralph Smith came over with the Salem company, in 1629, and not being wanted there, he came that year to Plymouth, and was their pastor about six years. * Robinson against Bernard, 235. CHAPTER II. A church settled at Salem-Governor Winthrop comes over with their charter-Church and State united-Williams banished-His great service in the Pequot war-A synod at Cambridge-A new court called, who punished many whom the synod had condemned. AFTER our fathers at Plymouth, through great dangers and difficulties, had prepared the way, many who disliked the corruptions and oppressions in the Church of England made preparations for a removal into this country. Mr. John White, a minister at Dorchester in England, prevailed with a number of wealthy men to write over to Roger Conant and others, who were scattered in different places, to repair to Cape Ann, and they would send over money and goods to assist them in planting and fishing; and they did so with success. And on March 19, 1628, the council for the affairs of New England sold to a number of men, their heirs and associates, that part of New England which lies between lines drawn three miles north of every part of Merrimack river, and three miles south of every part of Charles river and Massachusetts bay, and extending west from the Atlantic ocean to the south sea. And they sent over Mr. John Endicot as governor of said people, who made Salem to be their chief town; and on March 4, 1629, King Charles granted the Massachusetts charter, including all the lands before described, to be holden of him and his heirs and successors. And Mr. Francis Higginson and Samuel Skelton, with two other ministers and above three hundred persons with them, came over to Salem, and gathered a church, and ordained these two ministers on August 6, 1629, and also a ruling elder; and they received the right hand of fellowship from the church of Plymouth the same day.* So early did they join with those here, whom many had censured * Prince, p. 83. 190, 191 1630.] SALEM AND BOSTON FOUNDED. 33 for separating from the church of England in their native country. And on June 12, 1630, Governor Winthrop arrived at Salem; and about fifteen hundred people came over that year, bringing the Massachusetts charter with them, and the churches of Boston, Dorchester, and Watertown, were soon formed and organized like Salem, as Charlestown also was in 1632. At first they received members by a general declaration of their faith, and the discovery of a regular walk; but they afterwards required of each one an account of a change of heart by the work of God's Spirit. Mr. John Wilson was the first pastor of the church of Charlestown and Boston, who was ordained, with a ruling elder and two deacons, August 27, 1630. Governor Winthrop says, "We used imposition of hands, but with this protestation by all, that it was only a sign of election and confirmation, not of any intent that Mr. Wilson should renounce his ministry he received in England."* But he afterwards informs us, that when a minister had resigned his pastoral charge of any church, he was then "no minister," by the received determination of their churches; and also that they did not allow any elders to lay on hands in ordinations, but those who were of the church where the ordination was.† But in 1648, that liberty was granted in their platform. The General Court at Boston, May 18, 1631, made a law that no man should hereafter be admitted as a freeman, to have a vote in their government, but a member in some of their churches. On Sept. 4, 1633, arrived a ship, in which came John Cotton, Thomas Hooker, and Samuel Stone, ministers, and John Haynes, afterwards Governor of Massachusetts, and then of Connecticut. Mr. Cotton was soon settled in the ministry, at Boston, where he had as much influence, both in the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of the country, as any one man therein, for near twenty years, till he died. But Mr. Hooker could not agree with him in some things of great importance, though he did in others. Hooker and Stone settled first at Cam * Journal, p. 20. † Ib. p. 227. 268. bridge, and then removed with many others to Hartford, in 1636, and were leaders in the colony of Connecticut, where men were received to be freemen who were not members of their churches. They also held that none had a right to bring their children to baptism but communicants, while Cotton was for others doing it, if they were not scandalous. And he was for carrying the power of councils higher than Hooker would. Governor Winthrop gives the following account of the manner of their forming churches, and receiving members into them, which was soon established. It was, that where a church was designed to be gathered, their chief rulers and ministers must be convened, and those who were to be the first members of the church were to tell their experiences before them, and have their approbation, or else they were not to proceed. Of this he relates the following example. In 1635, the most of the church in Dorchester, with their minister, removed up, and planted Windsor, and began the colony of Connecticut; in which year Mr. Richard Mather came over and settled in Dorchester. And on April 11, 1636, many rulers and ministers met there for the purpose of forming a new church; but it was not done, because the most of those who intended to be members were thought not meet at present to be the foundation of a church, because they had built their hopes of salvation upon unsound grounds, viz.: "Some upon dreams and ravishes of spirit by fits; others upon the reformation of their lives; others upon duties and performances, &c. wherein they discovered three special errors. 1. That they had not come to hate sin because it is filthy, but only left it because it is hurtful. 2. That by reason of this they had never truly closed with Christ, (or rather Christ with them,) but had made use of him only to help the imperfection of their sanctification and duties, and not made him their sanctification, wisdom, &c. 3. They expected to believe by some power of their own, and not only and wholly from Christ." These are the views that Governor Winthrop had of Christian experiences, and of how churches should be 1633.] ROGER WILLIAMS. 35 gathered. And satisfaction was gained the fall after, when a church was gathered there.* Perhaps he, and many rulers and teachers among them, were as wise and pious men as any who ever undertook to establish religion upon earth by human laws, enforced by the sword of the magistrate; and the evils which they ran into ought to be imputed to that principle, and not to any others which they held that were agreeable to the gospel. But as their persecutors in England were then exerting all their influence to bring these people again under their power in religious matters, they took such measures to defend themselves as cannot be justified; and as Mr. Roger Williams earnestly laboured to prevent those measures, and to promote the establishment of full liberty of conscience in this country, they bent all their power against him. According to his own account, and good information from others, he was born in Wales, in 1599, and he had the early patronage of the famous Sir Edward Coke; was educated at the University of Oxford, and was introduced into the ministry in the Church of England. But he soon found that he could not in conscience conform to many things in their worship; therefore he came over to this country, and arrived at Boston, in February, 1631; and in April, he was called to preach at Salem; but as he had refused to commune with the church at Boston, and objected against the oaths which they took when they came out of England, and the force in religious affairs which they exercised here, the court at Boston wrote to Salem against him, upon which he went to Plymouth, where he preached above two years, and was highly esteemed by Governor Bradford and others. Mr. Prince supposed that he had taken the oath of a freeman at Boston, in May, 1631, because a man of his name is upon their records in that month; but this was an evident mistake, and I found a Roger Williams upon their records the fall before this minister came to America. As these colonies had received the grant of American lands from the kings * Winthrop, p. 98. 105. |