Page images
PDF
EPUB

nies, with which the 'land of our forefathers' sepulchres' has been defiled; we came hither because we would have our posterity settled under the pure and full dispensations of the gospel; defended by rulers that should be of our selves."

VIII. None of the least concerns that lay upon the spirits of these reformers, was the condition of their posterity: for which cause, in the first constitution of their churches, they did more generally with more or less expressiveness take in their children, as under the church watch with themselves. They also did betimes endeavour the erection of a College, for the training up of a successive ministry in the country; but because it was likely to be some while before a considerable supply could be expected from the college, therefore they took notice of the younger, hopeful scholars, who came over with their friends from England, and assisted their liberal education; whereby being fitted for the service of the churches, they were in an orderly manner called forth to that service. Of these we have given you a number; whereof, I think, all but one or two are now gone unto their fathers.

IX. Of these ministers, there were some few, suppose ten or a dozen, that after divers years returned into England, where they were eminently serviceable unto their generation; but by far the biggest part of them continued in this country, "serving their generation by the will of God." Moreover, I find near half of them signally blessed with sons, who did work for our Lord Jesus Christ, in the ministry of the gospel; yea, some of them-as Mr. Chancy, Mr. Elliot, Mr. Hobart, Mr. Mather—had (though not like R. Jose, a wise man among the Jews, of whom they report that he had eight sons, who were also celebrated for wise men among them; yet) not less than four or five sons a piece thus employed: and though Mr. Parker, living always a single man, had no children, yet he was instrumental to bring up no less than twelve useful ministers. Among the Jews, they that have been instructed by another, are called the sons of their instructor. We read, "These are the generations of Aaron and Moses;" when we find none but the sons of Aaron in the enumerated generations. But in the Talmud, it is thus expounded, Hos Aaron genuit, Moses vero docuit, ideoque ejus nomine censentur.* (Thus the sons of Merob are called the sons of Michael, as the Talmud judges, because by her educated.) And on this account no less than twelve were the sons of Mr. Parker. I may add, that some of our ministers, having their sons comfortably settled, at or near the place of their own ministry, the people have thereby seen a comfortable succession in the affairs of Christianity; thus, the writer of this history hath, he knows not how often, seen it; that his grandfather baptized the grand-parent, his father baptized the parent, and he himself has baptized the children in the same family.

X. In the beginning of the country, the ministers had their frequent meetings, which were most usually after their publick and weekly or

These were begotten by Aaron, but educated by Moses, and therefore bear the name of the latter.
VOL. I.-16

monthly lectures, wherein they consulted for the welfare of their churches; nor had they ordinarily any difficulty in their churches, which were not in these meetings offered unto consideration, for their mutual direction and assistance; and these meetings are maintained unto this day. The private Christians also had their private meetings, wherein they would seek the face, and sing the praise of God; and confer upon some questions of practical religion, for their mutual edification. And the country still is full of those little meetings; yet they have now mostly left off one circumstance, which in those our primitive times was much maintained; namely, their concluding of their more sacred exercises with suppers; whereof, I sincerely think, I cannot give a better account than Tertullian gives of the suppers among the faithful, in his more primitive times: "Therein their spiritual gains countervailed their worldly costs; they remembered the poor, they ever began with prayer [and other devotions]; in eating and drinking they relieved hunger, but showed no excess. In feeding at supper, they remembered they were to pray in the night. In their discourse, they considered that God heard them; and when they departed, their behaviour was so religious and modest, that one would have thought we had rather been at a sermon than at a supper." Our private meetings of good people to pray and praise God, and hear sermons, either preached. perhaps by the younger candidates for the ministry, (who here use to form themselves, at their entrance into their work,) or else repeated by exact writers of short hand after their pastors; and sometimes to spend whole days in fasting and prayer, especially when any of the neighbourhood are in affliction, or when the communion of the Lord's table is approaching; those do still abound among us; but the meals that made meatings of them, are generally laid aside. I suppose 'twas with some eye to what he had seen in this country, that Mr. Firmin has given this report, in a book printed 1681:

"Plain mechanicks have I known, well catechised, and humble Christians, excellent in practical piety: they kept their station, did not aspire to be preachers, but for gifts of prayer, few clergy-men must come near them. I have known some of them, when they did keep their fasts, (as they did often,) they divided the work of prayer; the first begun with confession; the second went on with petition for themselves; the third with petition for church and kingdom; the fourth with thanksgiving; every one kept his own part, and did not meddle with another part. Such excellent matter, so compacted without tautologies; each of them for a good time, about an hour, if not more, a piece; to the wondering. of those which joined with them. Here was no reading of liturgies: these were old Jacob's sons, they could wrestle and prevail with God.”

XI. Besides the ministers enumerated in the three classes of our catalogue, there might a fourth class be offered, under the name of anomalies of New-England. There have at several times arrived in this country more than a score of ministers from other parts of the world, who proved either so erroneous in their principles, or so scandalous in their practices,

or so disagreeable to the church order for which the country was planted, that I cannot well croud them into the company of our worthies:

Non bene conveniunt, nec in una sede morantur.*

And, indeed, I had rather my Church History should speak nothing, than speak not well of them that might else be mentioned in it: being entirely of Plutarch's mind, that it is better it should never be said there was such a man as Plutarch at all, than to have it said, that he was not an honest and a worthy man. I confess, there were some of those persons whose names deserve to live in our book for their piety, although their particular opinions were such as to be disserviceable unto the declared and supposed interests of our churches. Of these there were some godly Anabaptists; as namely, Mr. Hanserd Knollys, (whom one of his adversaries called Absurd Knowless,) of Dover, who afterwards removing back to London, lately died there, a good man, in a good old age. And Mr. Miles, of Swansey, who afterwards came to Boston, and is now gone to his rest. Both of these have a respectful character in the churches of this wilderness. There were also some godly Episcopalians; among whom has been commonly reckoned Mr. Blackstone, who, by happening to sleep first in an hovel, upon a point of land there, laid claim to all the ground whereupon there now stands the metropolis of the whole English America, until the inhabitants gave him satisfaction. This man was, indeed, of a particular humour, and he would never join himself to any of our churches, giving this reason for it: "I came from England, because I did not like the lord-bishops; but I can't join with you, because I would not be under the lord-brethren." There were some likewise that fell into gross miscarriages, and the hunter of souls having stuck the darts of some extreme disorder into those poor hearts, the whole flock pushed them out of their society. Of these, though there were some so recovered that they became true penitents; yet, inasmuch as the wounds which they received by their falls were not in all regards thoroughly cured, I will choose rather to forbear their names, than write them with any blots upon them. For the same cause, though I have his name in our catalogue, yet I will not say which of them it was that for a while became a Seeker, and almost a Quaker, and seduced a great part of his poor people into his bewildring errors; at last the grace of God recovered this gentleman out of his errors, and he became a very good and sound man, after his recovery: but, alas! it was a perpetual sting unto his penitent soul, that he could not now reduce his wandring flock, which he had himself seduced into the most unhappy aberrations. They wandred on obstinately still in their errors; and being irrecoverable, he was forced thereby unto a removal from them, taking the charge of a more orthodox flock, upon Long-Island.

• They mate not well; they sit not on one seat.

Nor know I where better than among these anomalies, to mention one Mr. Lenthal, whom I find a minister at Weymouth, about the year 1637. He had been one of good report and repute in England; whereas, here, he not only had imbibed some Antinomian weaknesses, from whence he was by conference with Mr. Cotton soon recovered; but also he set himself to oppose the way of gathering churches. Many of the common people eagerly fell in with him, to set up a church state, wherein all the baptized might be communicants, without any further trial of them; for which end many hands were procured unto an instrument, wherein they would have declared against the New-England design of church-reformation; and would have invited Mr. Lenthal to be their pastor, in opposition thereunto.

Mr. Lenthal, upon the discourses of the magistrates and ministers before the General Court, who quickly checked these disturbances by sending for him, as quickly was convinced of his error and evil, in thus disturbing the good order of the country. His conviction was followed with his confession; and in open court he gave under his hand a laudable retractation; which retractation he was ordered also to utter in the assembly at Weymouth, and so no further censure was passed upon him.

In Four Parts we will now pursue the design before us.

JOHANNES IN EREMO.*

MEMOIRS RELATING TO THE LIVES

OF THE EVER-MEMORABLE

MR. JOHN COTTON, WHO DIED 23 D. 10 M. 1652;
MR. JOHN NORTON, WHO DIED 5 D. 2 M. 1663;

MR. JOHN WILSON, WHO DIED 7 D. 6 M. 1667;

MR. JOHN DAVENPORT, WHO DIED 15 D. 1 M. 1670;

Reverend and Renowned Ministers of the Gospel, all, in the more Immediate Service of One Church, in Buston,

AND

MR. THOMAS HOOKER, WHO DIED 7 D. 5 M. 1647,
Pastor of the Church at Hartford, New-England.

PRESERVED BY COTTON MATHER.

THE FIRST PART.

Forte nimis Videor Laudes Cantare MEORUM;
Forte nimis cineres Videor celebrare repostos;
Non ita me Facilem Sine Vero Credite!t-

TO THE READER.

THAT little part of the earth which this age has known by the name of New-England, has been an object of very signal both frowns and favours of Heaven. Besides those "stars of the first magnitude," which did sometimes shine, and at last set in this horizon, there have been several men of renown, who were preparing and fully resolved to transport themselves hither, had not the Lord seen us unworthy of more such mercies. It is still fresh in the memory of many yet living, that that great man, Dr. John Owen, had given order for his passage in a vessel bound for Boston; being invited to succeed the other famous Johns, who had been burning and shining lights in that which was the first candlestick set up in this populous town: but a special providence diverted him. Long before that, Dr. Ames (whose family and whose library New-England has had) was upon the wing for this American desart: but God then took him to the heavenly Canaan. Whether he left his fellow upon earth I know not: such acuteness of judgment, and affectionate zeal, as he excelled in, seldom does meet together in the same person. I have often thought of Mr. Paul Bayne, his farewel words to Dr. Ames, when going for Holland; Mr. Bayne perceiving him to be a man of extraordinary parts, "Beware (said he) of a strong head and a cold heart." It is rare for a scholastical wit to be joined with an heart warm in religion: but in him it was so. He has sometimes said that he could be willing to walk twelve miles on his feet, on condition he might have an opportunity to preach a sermon: and he seldom did preach a sermon without tears. When he lay on his death-bed, he had such tastes of the "first-fruits of glory," as that a learned physitian (who was a Papist) wondring, said, Num Protestantes sic solent mori: * John Baptist in the wilderness.

+ Perchance I now shall seem to overpraise My kindred, and too much extol their dust.

Believe it not!-believe not that I could
So easily forsake the paths of Truth.

« PreviousContinue »