Declaration Upon the Coasts of America, Letter 2
which have … her breat… and …ved as their naturall, ſo the… … birth …, …f ever they were new borne.
We ought to acknowledge, with thankeſgiving the aboundant grace and mercy of God towards the Church of England; who hath made it no leſſe honourable then any other Reformed Church whatſoever, whether we conſider the firſt Reformers, being men of ſingular Piety, and bleſſed Martyrs of Chriſt; Or the purity of Doctrin there publikly profeſſed even to this preſent. Or the number of holy Martyrs who have adviſedly ſealed that Doctrine with their blood: Or the eminent lights in the Miniſtry ſucceſſively ſhining there in great number: Or the many and ſincere Profeſſors and Practiſers of Religion there, ever ſince the Reformation; Or laſtly, if we conſider the many great Deliverances which the Lord hath vouchſafed us, from the wicked plots and hoſtile attempts of the common adverſary, crowning all with much proſperity, and cauſing the fame and glory of it to be ſpread throughout the world. Theſe and the like have not beene ſeene in their ſeparate and Independent Churches. In the meane time, we deny not, but that beſides our many other grievous ſinnes, there have beene alſo many groſſe faults and intollerable in the Eccleſiaſticall Policy and Diſcipline, as it was abuſed by thoſe that were intruſted with it, and many foule effects have thence proceeded, which have (eſpecially of late yeares) corrupted Religion, eclipſed our glory, and laid it in the duſt, cauſed the Lord to hide his gracious and loving countenance from us: And was like to have proved the remidileſſe ruine of Church and Common Wealth: Of which ſinnes though we all ſtand guilty before God, as having beene Authors or Procurers of them; yet it becomes not any, that is, or lately was a member of that Church, to upbraid her with theſe things in a deſpightfull manner: Such men according to that ſaying of the Apoſtle, Are jealous over us amiſſe, yea, they would (alienate our affections,Gal. 4.1… and) exclude us (from the Church of England) that wee ſhould altogether love them. But theſe corruptions as they have beene for the moſt part forced upon the Church, by the uſurped power of thoſe which were intruſted, and pretended the greateſt care of the Church; ſo they have beene, and wee truſt will bee caſt out and Reformed by the preſent Parliament.
How I would not be miſtaken, as if I deſired to derogate any thing from the dignity of that moſt eminent calling of the Miniſtry; I have no ſuch mean…ng, neither doe I thinke a worthy Miniſter to be unworthy or unfit for …ther the moſt eminent Offices or callings in Church or Common-wea…th, were it not that he hath a moſt eminent calling already ſufficient …o take up …he whole man, and unmeete to be yoaked with other callings, as the Apoſtle ſaith, who is ſufficient for theſe things; 2 Cor. 2.16▪And the Apoſtles doe reject ſuch employments with a kinde of contempt ſaying. It is not meet that we ſhould leave the word of God to ſerve Tables, and a litle after,Act. 6.2… wee will give our ſelves continually to prayer, and to the Miniſtry of the Word, intimating that theſe things would hinder them from prayer and the Miniſtry of the Word; whereby it appeares, they would not be De…cons, nor take upon them any other Office in or over the Church, but …pend themſelves wholly in the … and prayer; the like might be manifeſted by ſ…nd… other Scriptures. And the evill of it hath beene ſo generally obſerved in England, that (as I heard) Queene Elizabeth, when ſhe had conferred upon a Miniſters authority and power to rule, was wont to ſay, I have ſpoiled a good Preacher to day. And ſurely (if we obſerve it) the deſire of Superiority and Dominion in or over the Church, in Miniſters and Clergy-men, and the readineſſe of Princes and people to conferre it upon them; hath beene a principall, if not the principall cauſe in corrupting Religion from time to time, and of ſetting up the great Antichriſt, and many others, as might eaſily be ſhewed if it were not an argument too long for this place.
Thus farre (through the gracious aſſiſtance of God) I have expreſſed my mind in this matter, to the intent I might ſtop, ſo much as in me lyes, the ſetting up of a new Diſcipline and Government of our owne framing, ſeeing we are already freed of all thoſe things that have uſually beene burthenſome and offenſive to good Chriſtians in England; and that we expect dayly the further determination and decree of the Honourable Aſſembly of Parliament in theſe things. Or if I cannot prevaile ſo farre as to ſtop it, yet that wee might looke before we leap, and underſtand well what we doe before we doe it. O… if neither that may be obtained, yet hence it will appeare, that my ſelfe and ſome others deſerve no blame, much leſſe ſuch evill ſpeeches as are uſually vented againſt us by ſome, becauſe we will not raſhly runne with them we know not whither. And laſtly, I deſire that this may be a publique teſtimony of my judgement in theſe things. For to be preſent, and heare them dayly preſſed, and to be alwayes ſilent, is taken for a ſigne of conſent and approbation.
March 1. 1642. RICH. NORVVOOD