A History of New England, Vol. 1

CHAP.I. The Sentiments and Character of the first Planters of this Country, with their Proceedings down to the Year 1634.

TO obtain clear and just ideas of the affairs of the Baptists in New-England, it seems necessary for us to look back to its first settlement, and carefully to examine what were the sentiments and character of the original planters. Those that began the first colony were called Separatists, because of their withdraw from the national church of England; and different parties have accused them with rigidness therein; but ingenuous minds will not choose to be turned off with hard names, without knowing what is meant by them, therefore let us hear those fathers tell their p. 2own story. They separated from the national church near the beginning of th last century, and formed societies for worship by themselves; till, after suffering much from the ruling party in their native country, they left it, and sojourned about twelve years in Holland, and then removed to this land.

ABOUT the time of their steeing into Holland, Mr. Richard Bernard, an Episcopal minister in Nottinghamshire, out of which many of those fathers removed, published a book against them, which he called The Separatist's Schism. unto which Mr. John Robinson, the pastor of the church which afterward began the settlement of New-England, published an answer in 1610, intituled, A Justification of Separation from the Church of England. As I am favoured with this performance, containing 476 pages in quarto, I shall from thence give the reader his own words upon the most material points of their controversy, and the rather, because the writings of that eminent father of our country are very little known at this day among us.

p. 2MR. Bernard began his book with some things which he called Christian Counsels of Peace, to which Mr. Robinson answers, that, "As God is the God of peace, so are not they God's children which desire it not; yea, even in the midst of their contentions. But as all vices use to cloath themselves with the habits of virtues, that under their liveries they may get countenance, and find the more free passage in the world, so especially in the church all tyranny and confusion do present themselves under this colour, taking up the politic pretence of peace, as a weapon of mere advantage, wherewith the stronger and greater party useth to beat the weaker. The Papists press the Protestants with the p. 3peace fo the church, and for the rent they have made in it, condemn them beyond the heathenish soldiers, which forbore to divide Christ's garments; as deeply do the bishops charge the ministers refusing conformity and subscription [The main of those who afterward settled the Massachusetts colony were of this sort; they refused full conformity to the national church, and yet condemned an entire separation from it.] , and both of them us. But the godly wise must not be affrighted either from seeking or embracing the truth with such bugs as these are, but seeing the wisdom which is fom above, is first pure, then peaceable, he must make it a great part of his Christain wisdom to discern betwixt godly and gracious peace, and that which is either pretended for advantage, or mistaken by error, and so labour to hold peace in purity. Let it then be manifested unto us, that the communion which the church of England hath with all the wicked in the land, without separation, is a pure communion; that their service book, devised and prescribed in so many words and letters, to be read over and over with all the appurtenances, is a pure worship; that their government by national provincial and diocesan bishops, according to their canons, is a pure government, and then let us be blamed if we hold not peace with them in word and deed; otherwise, though they speak unto us never so oft, both by messengers and mouth of peace, and again of peace, as Jehoram did to Jehu, yet must we answer them in effect as Jehu did Jehoram, what peace, whilst the whoredoms of the mother of fornications, the Jezebel of Rome, do remain in so great number amongst them? And I doubt not but Mr. Bernard, and a thousand more ministers in the land (were they secure of the magistrate's sword, and might they go on with good p. 4licence) would wholly shake off their canonical obedience to their ordinaries, and neglect their citations and censures, and refuse to sue in their counts, for all the peace of the church which they commend to us for so sacred a thing. Could they but obtain licence from the magistrate to use the liberties which they are persuaded Christ hath given them, they would soon shake off the prelates yoke, and draw no longer under the same in spiritual communion with all the prophane in the land, but would break those bonds of iniquity, as easily as Sampson did the cords wherewith Dalilah tyed him, and give good reasons also from the word of God for their so doing." p. 13, 14.

p. 4WHOEVER reads and well observes the history of the Massachusetts colony, I believe, will find that those remarks were neither ◊◊thusiastical nor censorious, but that they discover great knowledge, and a good judgment both in human and divine concernments. Mr. Robinson proceeds and says, "These things I thought good to commend to the reader, that he may be the more cautious of this and the like colourable pretences, wishing him also well to remember, that peace in disobedience is that old theme of the false prophets, whereby they flattered the mighty, and deceived the simple, Jer. vi. 14, and viii. …