A Trial of the New Church Way in New England, Letter 1
The Letter of thoſe Miniſters in England, who requeſted to know the judgement of their Brethren in New England, in Nine poſitions, wherein the reaſons, of this their requeſt, are truly reported.
(Reverend and beloved Brethren)
WHiles we lived together in the ſame Kingdome, we profeſſed the ſame faith, joyned in the ſame Ordinances, laboured in the worke of God to gaine ſoules unto his kingdome, and maintained the puritie of worſhip againſt corruptions, both on the right hand and on the left. But ſince your departure into New England, we heare (and partly beleeve it) that divers have embraced certaine vain opinions, ſuch as you diſliked formerly, and we judge to be groundleſſe and unwarrantable. As that a ſtinted forme of prayer, and ſet Liturgie is unlawfull; That it is not lawfull to joyne in prayer, or to receive the Sacrament, where a ſtinted Liturgie is uſed. 3. That the children of godly and approved Chriſtians are not to be Baptized, untill their parents bee ſet members of ſome perticular congregation. 4. that the Parents themſelves, though of approved piety are not to be received to the Lords Supper, untill they bee admitted as ſet members. 5. That the power of Excommunication▪ &c. is ſo in the body of the Church that what the major part ſhall allow, that muſt be done, though the Paſtors and Governors, and part of the aſſembly be of another minde, and peradventure, upon more ſubſtantiall reaſons. 6. That none are to be admitted as ſet members, but they muſt promiſe, not to depart, or remove unleſſ the Congregation will give leave. 7. That a Miniſter is ſo a Miniſter to a particular Congregation, that if they diſlike him unjustly, or leave him, he ceaſeth to be a Miniſter. 8. That a Minister cannot performe any ministeriall act in another Cogregation. 9. That members of one Congregation may not communicate in another.
Theſe and other ſuch like (which we omit to reckon up) are written and reported to be the common Tenents in New England, which are received with great applauſe, maintained with great confidence, and applauded as the only Church way wherein the Lord is to be worſhipped. And letters from New England have ſo taken with divers in many parts of this Kingdome, that they have left our Aſſemblies becauſe of a ſtinted Liturgie, and excommunicated themſelves from the Lords Supper becauſe ſuch as are not debarred from it. And being turned aſide themſelves, they labour to enſnare others, to the griefe of the godly, the ſcandall of Religion, the wounding of their owne ſoules (if they did adviſedly conſider the matter) and great advantage of them, that are wily to eſpy, and ready to make uſe of all advantages to prejudice the truth. (Beloved brethren) if you ſtood in our places, we are well aſſured it would be no ſmall griefe unto you, to beare and ſee the people led aſide to the diſgrace of the Goſpell, upon weake and groundleſſe imaginations, and in raſh end inconſiderate zeale to deale with that which is of God, as if it were of man. And if it be to us griefe of heart to heare that you have changed from that truth which you did profeſſe, and embrace that for truth which in former times upon ſound grounds you did condemne as erroneous, we hope you will not be offended. You know how oft it hath beene objected that Non-conformiſts in practice are Separatiſts in heart, but that they goe croſſe to their own poſitions, or ſmother the truth for ſiniſter ends. They of the Separation boast that they ſtand upon the Non-conformiſts grounds. A vainglorious flouriſh and ſleight pretence. But both theſe are much countenanced by your ſudden change if you be changed, as it is reported. How ſhall your brethren bee able to ſtand up in the defence of their innocencie, and the uprightneſſe of their cauſe, when your example and opinion ſhall be cast in their diſh? Muſt they leave you now, with whom they have held ſociety? Or will you plead for Separation, which you have condemned as raſh and inconſiderate? You know that thy who have run this way, have fallen into manifold diviſions, and may not you juſtly feare, leſt the ſame befall you? Some warnings you have had already, and have you not cauſe to feare every day more and more? Errour is very fruitfull and will ſpread apace. A cracke in the foundation may occaſion a wide breach in the building, where there will not be means, or mind to amend it. Experience every day may tutour us herein. But to let paſſe all inconveniences, our requeſt in all meekneſſe and love is, that if theſe or any of the forementioned opinions be indeed your Tenents, you would be pleaſed to take a ſecond review of your grounds, and ſend us your ſtrongeſt reaſons that have ſwayed you in theſe matters: and if we ſhall find them upon due examination to be ſuch as will carry weight, we ſhall be ready to give you the right hand of fellowſhip; if otherwiſe you ſhall receive our juſt and modeſt animadverſions in what we conceive you have erred from the truth. You will not iudge, if we cannot apprehend the ſtrength of your grounds it is becauſe we love not the truth▪ or bee carryed with by-ſpects (though theſe conceipts prevaile too much:) Such rigid and harſh cenſures, cannot lodge in meeke and humble breaſts. Weighty reaſons promote the truth not unadviſed judging. You your ſelves have judged that to be errour, which now you take to be truth when yet you were not blinded with by re-reſpects, nor hudwinked your eyes, that you might not ſee the light. And if you have juſt warrant from God to pull downe what you have builded, and to build what you have pulled downe, we deſire you would lovingly and maturely impart it, for as yet we have ſeene none, which we are not ready to prove, and ſhew by the rule of truth to be too weake to carry any burthen.
We adore with you the fulneſſe of the Scripture, and we know the Counſell of the Lord ſhall ſtand: if you can ſhew that you walke in the wayes of God, we ſhall heartily rejoyce to walke with you: but if you have turned aſide, we ſhall earnestly deſire that you would be pleaſed ſeriouſly to conſider the matter, and ſpeedily reforme, what is out of order. Thus not doubting of your favourable interpretation of this our motion, for the preventing of diſtraction, maintenance of peace, and ſearching out of the truth, whereby we may be directed to live to the praiſe of God, the good of his people, and comfort of our ſoules, beſeeching God to lead and guide us into all truth and holineſſe, and keepe us blameleſſe untill his glorous appearance, we reſt
Your loving Brethren.