The Churchs Quarrel Espoused, Query 2 – Query 4
2d. Query.
Wheither length of time has Diſcovered any Eſſential Error in the Government of theſe Churches?
And 1ſt. it has, or 2dly it has not.
1. If time has made any ſuch Diſcovery, yet the Propoſals have not been ſo fair as to detect it, or deſcribe wherein, or in what Reſpect. The Great ſervice theſe Churches, with their Government, have done, in ſubduing and Beautifying a wilderneſs, beſpeaks ſome conſiderable Reſpect from all men, who value Wiſdom or Piety; That it muſt needs ſeem a harſh piece of Juſtice, with or without any formal Tryal, for them to be driven from Plenty, and ſent to the Doors of their own Tenants to Beg for a Booty, out of that Eſtate which was once their own: at leaſt, by a ſeiſin in fact, if not in Law; For that the Propoſals Kill, and take Poſſesſion with far leſs Ceremony or Legal Formalities, Than Ahab did in gaining the Right of Naboth's Vineyard; when, if there is any Eſſential Error in their Frame or Conſtitution, & that they have either Ignorantly or Treacherouſly aſſumed any peculiar Prerogative, which belongs to Chriſt Throne, as King, that was never their due to poſſeſs (and ſo being conſidered as Uſurpers, are dead in Law) yet notwithſtanding it would not have Offended againſt the Laws of Gratitude in ſending them to their Graves, to have put ſome more Marks of Honour upon them, by certain ſolemn and uſual forms of Tryal in the Prologue of their Diſsolution; for they have been certainly great and good Servants to the Publick, that if they deſerve to dye, they ought to dye under all the Marks of Honour which Juſtice can allow of, at the leaſt a Grand Sesſions, a Jury and Liberty to make Plea in their Own Defence, and under the Influence of Royal Council, ſhould have been Granted, unleſs they may be treated as Conquerours ſerve unfortunate Pyrates, who when taken, are without form of Law hung up at the Yards Arm.
2dly. But if no ſuch diſcovery can be made, Whether it is a wiſe and juſt thing for men to alter their Government? The Churches of Chriſt in this Country have been in Poſſeſſion of this form of Government, and it hath been eſtabliſhed by Certain or Legal and Orderly Familarities, and Ʋniverſal Conſent, and has continued upwards of three ſcore Years. And as the poet ſays, Parvarios Caſus, Per Tot Diſcrimina Rarum Tendemus In Caelum; They have paſſed various changes, and great Temptations, and yet to this day, by this Reaſon of Diſcipline have been kept as clean Swept, as any Churches of God in the World, and any ſuch Imbroylments as have lately happned in the Churches, have been more the Folly of Adminiſtrators, in not keeping to the Rules of Government, then from any Defect in the Conſtitution. Then what reaſon have we to meditate a Change? No, Certainly; It will be more Divine, and agreeable with the Law of our Religious Gratitude, to joyn with the Reverend Mr. Nicholas Noyſe, in his Doxology, or uſe of Triumph and praiſe for the great Mercies he recites in his Election Sermon, Pag. 79. ſays he, Thanks be to God and the King! our houſes and our Lands are our own, without every mans being at the coſt of a Charter, and yet we have the Liberty of our Religion, and the free Exerciſe of it, without ſubſcribing New Articles of Faith, Worſhip or Diſcipline; which is a great favour of God, if we have Wiſdom and Grace to improve it Rightly.
Query, Whether the right Improvement will be to alter the Scheme of our Government or Diſcipline, ſeeing no body elſe will do it for us? NO Surely! But it will be more agreeable with both our Policy and Duty to follow the good Advice Mr. Cotton Mather leaves us in his Golden Street, Pag. 40. in theſe Wards, Where we have a Plat-form left us that is According to the Word of our Gracious Lord, and the Pattern in the Mount, we ſhall be great Enemies to our ſelves if we do not keep to it.
3d Query.
Whether it be not great Boldneſs for any particular Gentlemen to Invade, null, Alter or Weaken ſo great a Right and Propriety, as is the Government of theſe Churches without their Conſent?
Government is the greateſt Bleſſing in the World of of a worldy Nature; it is Felony, cheaper by far to the Looſers to plunder men of their Eſtate and wealth, nay, and of their Lives too then to diſpoyl them of Government; for by the latter, you haraſs and worry them in the world, with Plagues and miſeries, worſe then death it ſelf, that the baſeſt is far better, then no Government; a churliſh Tyranny, is better then an Inſolent Anarchy, when men are without Law, and all hail Fellows, not well but badly met. And for men to alter or warp Government, without all Intereſted parties are agreed, is a very bold Intruſion.
That, yea, that Government which is in any good meaſure formed, and dos agree with the nature freedom of Humane Beings, and adjuſted by the Laws of wiſdome and Honour, and plain inly, and fairly Eſtabliſhed, is too much of God in the world, and too Great a Royalty belonging to men, for any to play the Knave or Fool with.
And when a Government hath done all things in the main well, and has Reapt in a great Stock of Bleſſings, now to Shuffle it out of Place, is Fickleneſs, and not Policy; for a ſenſible Series of Blesſings will always attone for ſome ſeeming Defects in a Conſtitution. Therefore when all Iſrael met at Ramah, in a general Aſſembly to alter their Conſular Government, which had been Crowned with Signal Bleſſings, they got ill will in the Court of Heaven for it, 1. Sam. 8.7.
The great ſucceſs which attended, ſignified it to be a Theocracy, and that it had more of God than of man in it, which is an Argument (Caeteris Paribus) for all other Governments, and ſo for this of New-England Churches, which has been Honoured with great ſucceſs, and many Bleſſings from its Beginnings to this day; therefore well does Mr. Cotton Mather deſcribe the Subject, and adviſe his Country, in his laſt Sermon on the Street of Gold, ſays he (in a Remarkable paſſage out of a letter) pag. 40 Here is a Temple Built, more Glorious then Solomon's, not of dead Stones, but living Saints, which may tempt the Greatest Queen of Sheba to come and See, and allure even Kings from far to come and worſhip in. Therefore, as to their Government (ſays he) Sirs, do not Spoil it, Oh, Deſtroy is not! There is a Blesſing in it.
4th. Query.
Whether by comparing the propoſals and our Platform we don't find them Repugnant, and ſo Contradictory, that if one ſtands, the other muſt fall?
And that we can as ſoon Reconcile a Republick with an abſolute Monarchy, or the beſt ſort of free States with a Politick Tyranny, or at leaſt with an Oligarchy, when the chief end of Government is the Inriching and Greatneſs of its Miniſters; and this we may do when we have compounded theſe Propoſals and our Platform, ſo that as that Faithful and Noble Friend to theſe Churches, the famous and and Learned Increaſe Mather, D. D. in an Appendix to his diſſertation Concerning the Sacrament, Laments ſeveral Plots conſpiring the Diſſolution of theſe famous Churches, in theſe Words, viz. The bold Attempts which have of late been made to unhinge and overſet the Congregational Churches in New-England by Decrying their Holy Covenant, &c. We may here juſtly Heighten the Complaint, and cry, Pro… Dolor! hine Lachrimae! Alas, Alas! here's the Grief! hence flows our Tears! for here is a Bold Attempt indeed, not only to diſpoil the Houſe of ſome particular Piece of Furniture, but to throw it quite out of Windows, not only to take away ſome of its Ornaments, but to blow up its Foundations. For thoſe bold Attempts which that worthy complains of, ſeem now to be Grown very Rampant; for here is in view a Combination of Work-men Diſafected which the faſhion of the Old Fabrick, who (in pretence) Deſign to Repair, but in Reality to Ruin the Whole Frame. They appear (indeed) ſomething in the manner of Nehemiah's Men on the Wall, Neh. 4.17. as it were with a Trowel in one hand, with which they now and then put on a little untempered Morter to plaiſter over a chink or two, where the Old work by length of time, is ſomewhat Weather-beaten, to pacify the Jealouſies of the inhabitants, that they may think theſe Builders (ſurely) are mending, and not Maring their old Comfortable Habitation. But in Reality they have in the other hand a formidable Maul, not as Nehemiah's Weapon to Defend, but to break Down the Building; for they are all hands at work Banging the Platform in Pieces, upon which the old Fabrick is Built. That may not the Churches and all their Lovers ſigh and complain, as once Cicero did, O Tempora! O Mores! who would have expected ſuch Times and ſuch things from ſuch men?