HIS REGARD FOR THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 389 XXV. and that till Christ the Lord departed wholly from it, CHAP. man ought not to leave it, only to bear witness against the corruption that was in it. But if any object, he separated from the Church of England and wrote largely against it, but yet let me tell you he allowed hearing the godly ministers preach and pray' in the public assemblies; yea, he allowed private communion not only with them, but all that were faithful in Christ Jesus in the kingdom and elsewhere upon all occasions; yea, honored them for the power of godliness, above all other the professors of religion in the world. Nay, I may truly say, his spirit cleaved unto them, being so well acquainted with the integrity of their hearts and care to walk blameless in their lives; which was no small motive to him to persuade us to remove from Holland, where we might probably not only continue English, but have and maintain such sweet communion with the godly of that nation as through God's great mercy we enjoy this day. 'Tis true, I confess, he was more rigid in his course and way at first than towards his latter end; for his study was peace and union, so far as might agree with faith and a good conscience; and for schism and divi 1 Cotton says, "This must not be understood of the Common Prayer Book, but of the prayers conceived by the preacher before and after sermon." Way, p. 8. "By private communion I suppose he means in opposition to the mixed communion in the public churches; that is, he allowed all of the Church of England who were known to be pious to have communion in his private church. For as Mr. Cotton, writing of Mr. Robinson, says, 'He separated not from 390 HIS DISLIKE OF EPISCOPACY AND THE LITURGY. CHAP. Sion, there was nothing in the world more hateful to XXV. him. But for the government of the Church of Eng land, as it was in the Episcopal way, the Liturgy, and stinted prayers of the Church then, yea, the constitution of it as National, and so consequently the corrupt communion of the unworthy with the worthy receivers of the Lord's Supper, these things were never approved of him, but witnessed against to his death, and are by the church over which he was, to this day.' And if the Lord would be pleased to stir up the hearts of those in whom (under him) the power of reformation lies to reform that abuse, that a distinction might once be put between the precious and the vile, particular churches might be gathered by the powerful preaching of the Word, those only admitted into communion whose hearts the Lord persuades to submit unto the iron rod of the Gospel, O how sweet then would the communion of the churches be! How thorough the reformation! How easy would the differences be reconciled between the Presbyterian and Independent way! How would the God of peace, who command "Our faith is not negative, nor consists in the condemning of others, and wiping their names out of the bead-roll of churches, but in the edifying of ourselves; neither require we of any of ours, in the confession of their faith, that they either renounce or in one word contest with the Church of England-whatsoever the world clamors of us in this way. Our faith is founded upon the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, in which no mention of the Church of England is made." "No man to whom England is known can be ignorant that all the natives there, and subjects of the kingdom, although never such strangers from all show of true piety and goodness, and fraught never so full with many most heinous impieties and vices, are without difference compelled and enforced by most severe laws, civil and ecclesiastical, into the body of that church. And of this confused heap (a few, compared with the rest, godly persons mingled among,) is that national church, commonly called the Church of England, collected and framed. Every subject of the kingdom, dwelling in this or that parish, is bound, will he, nill he, fit or unfit, as with iron bonds, to participate in all holy things, and some unholy also, in that same parish church." Robinson's Apology, pp. 52, 56. THE PILGRIMS NOT SCHISMATICS. 391 XXV. eth love and good agreement, smile upon this nation! CHAP. How would the subtle underminers of it be disappointed, and the faithful provoked to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving! Nay, how would the God of order be glorified in such orderly walking of the saints! And as they have fought together for the liberties of the kingdom, ecclesiastical and civil,' so may they join together in the preservation of them (which otherwise, 't is to be feared, will not long continue) and in the praises of our God, who hath been so good to his poor distressed ones, whom he hath delivered and whom he will deliver out of all their troubles. But I have made too great a digression, and must return. In the next place I should speak of Mr. Robinson's Apology, wherein he maketh a brief defence against many adversaries, &c. But because it is both in Latin and English, of small price, and easy to be had, I shall forbear to write of it, and only refer the reader to it for the difference between his congregation and other the Reformed Churches. The next thing I would have the reader take notice of is, that however the church of Leyden differed in some particulars, yet made no schism or separation from the Reformed Churches, but held communion with them occasionally. For we ever placed a large difference between those that grounded their practice upon the word of God, (though differing from us in the exposition or understanding of it) and those that hated such Reformers and Reformation, and went on in antichristian opposition to it and persecution of it, as the This was written and published in England in the time of the civil wars in the reign of Charles I. See the title of this work, note ' on page 40. 392 XXV. COMMUNION WITH THE DUTCH CHURCHES. CHAP. late Lord Bishops did, who would not in deed and truth (whatever their pretences were) that Christ should rule over them. But as they often stretched out their hands against the saints, so God hath withered the arm of their power, thrown them down from their high and lofty seats, and slain the chief of their persons, as well as the hierarchy, that he might become an example to all those that rise against God in his sabbath, in the preaching of his word, in his saints, in the purity of his ordinances. And I heartily desire that others may hear and fear withal. As for the Dutch, it was usual for our members that understood the language and lived in or occasionally came over to Leyden, to communicate with them, as one John Jenny,' a brewer, long did, his wife and family, &c. and without any oflence to the church. So also for any that had occasion to travel into any other part of the Netherlands, they daily did the like. And our pastor, Mr. Robinson, in the time when Arminianism prevailed so much, at the request of the most orthodox divines, as Polyander, Festus Hommius, 1613. &c. disputed daily against Episcopius (in the Academy at Leyden) and others, the grand champions of that error, and had as good respect amongst them as any of their own divines. Insomuch as when God took him away from them and us by death, the University and ministers of the city accompanied him to his grave with all their accustomed solemnities, bewailing the great loss that not only that particular church had, whereof he was pastor, but some of the chief of them 'He was one of the passengers in the Anne. See note on page 352. 2 See pages 40 — 42. COMMUNION WITH THE FRENCH CHURCHES. 393 2 XXV. sadly affirmed that all the churches of Christ sustained CHAP. a loss by the death of that worthy instrument of the Gospel.' I could instance also divers of their members that understood the English tongue, and betook themselves to the communion of our church, went with us to New England, as Godbert Godbertson, &c. Yea, at this very instant, another, called Moses Symonson, because a child of one that was in communion with the Dutch church at Leyden, is admitted into church fellowship at Plymouth in New England, and his children also to baptism, as well as our own, and other Dutch also in communion at Salem, &c. And for the French churches, that we held and do hold communion with them, take note of our practice at Leyden, viz. that one Samuel Terry was received "Contrary to Mr. Baylie's suggestion, Gov. Bradford and Gov. Winslow tell us that Mr. Robinson and his people always lived in great love and harmony among themselves, as also with the Dutch, with whom they sojourned. And when I was at Leyden in 1714, the nost ancient people from their parents told me, that the city had such a value for them, as to let them have one of their churches, in the chancel whereof he lies buried, which the English still enjoy; and that as he was had in high esteem both by the city and university, for his learning, piety, moderation, and excellent accomplishments, the magistrates, ministers, scholars, and most of the gentry mourned his death as a public loss, and followed him to the grave." Prince, p. 238. Mrs. Adams, the wife of President John Adams, in a letter written Sept. 12, 1786, says, "I would not omit to mention that I visited the church at Leyden, in which our forefathers worshipped, when they fled from hierarchical tyranny and Robinson was admitted to the 2 This name is also spelt Cudbart Cudbartson and Cuthbert Cuthbertson. He came in the Anne, and married Sarah, a sister of Isaac Allerton. See note on page 352. 3 3 Symonson came in the Fortune. The name has become changed into Simmons. See note on page 235, and Thacher's Plymouth, p. 72. 2 362 235 |