their pastors in after years found themselves depreciated, discouraged, and disesteemed thereby. It is very certain that God saw fit to discipline the colony with some very disastrous experiences in the endurance of men, who proved hypocrites in the ministry or incapacitated for it. It was God's own providence, not their choice, that threw them upon the exercise of their own gifts so long and so habitually. And there could not have been much irregularity, or disesteem of the ministry, in a church educated under Robinson's guidance, while such men as Brewster, Bradford, and Edward Winslow, were their elders and "prophets." The jealousy of prophesyings among the brethren savors a little of that spirit of the Establishment, which afterwards threw Winslow himself into prison in England, on the charge of having publicly exercised his gifts for the edification of the Church, when they wanted a minister. The last stanza in this simple. poem on the death of Robinson conveys without doubt the sentiment of the whole church in regard to such preachers of the gospel as the Lord might be pleased to grant them for the guidance of his flock.

That whoso gospel preacher be,

Or waterer of the same,
We may always most constantly
Give glory to thy name.

CHAPTER VII. •

THE FIRST NEW ENGLAND CHURCH AND THEIR ELDER, WILLIAM BREWSTER.-THE VINE BROUGHT OUT AND PLANTED.

THE first New England Church was composed of the Pilgrims in the May Flower. Its organization must be regarded as having taken place before they left Leyden, even on that important day of fasting and prayer, early in the year 1620, when, having received accounts of the completion of arrangements in England for their departure, they gathered together to ask counsel of the Lord. That day they heard a sermon from their pastor, Robinson, on the appropriate text in First Samuel xxiii. 4. "And David's men said unto him, Behold we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine and." What a treasure would it have been, could that sermon have been preserved to us! We have no record of it whatever, save in two lines from Governor Bradford, where he says that Mr. Robinson preached that day from that text, "strengthening them against their fears, and encouraging them in their resolutions." It could not but have been one of Robinson's wisest, most affectionate, most fervent and animating sermons; for he was full of a devout fire himself in this great Pilgrim and Missionary enter

prise; he intended to go in person, and his whole heart was bound up in the undertaking. And every step which he and his beloved fellow-disciples of Christ adopted in it was taken in prayer. If ever a church sought God's guidance, they did. With what energy, and beauty, and heavenlymindedness he would, on that occasion, have led his flock by the streams of God's promises, telling them that they should find the same streams in the wilderness, and brooks to drink of by the way, yea, and in the New World to which they were travelling, new and unexpected springs of light, comfort, and power.

Their next business, after seeking God in prayer, and listening to the counsels of that beloved pastor, whom God had given them, was to "conclude how many, and who should prepare to go first; for all that were willing could not get ready quickly." It is from Governor Bradford that we derive our direct and valuable notice of this day's services and doings. "The greater number," says he, "being to stay, require their pastor to tarry with them; their Elder, Mr. Brewster, to go with the other. THOSE WHO

GO FIRST, TO BE AN ABSOLUTE CHURCH OF THEMSELVES, AS

WELL AS THOSE WHO STAY; With this proviso, that as any go over or return, they shall be reputed as members, without farther dismission or testimonial. And those who tarry, to follow the rest as soon as they can."

We have marked an important sentence in this record. From this day, the Church of the Pilgrims in the May Flower, the First Congregational Church in Plymouth and in New England, and in all America, dates its organization. There was no other formal organization, that we are aware of, nor was any other necessary. It was as simple and natural as the growth of two cedars from one stock, of two branches from the same vine, of two rose trees from the same root. They had the same covenant with the Parent Church, the same officers, and the same usages. They carried from Leyden into New England that primitive,

New Testament Congregational organization which they had brought from Old England into Leyden. Their covenant was with Christ, and with one another in him, "to walk in all his ways, made known, or to be made known. unto them, according to their best endeavors, whatever it cost them."

Perfectly and nobly in accordance with this covenant was the spirit and letter of Mr. Robinson's last remarkable sermon to his departing flock, when they observed their final Fast Day, ready to depart on the morrow. That day their pastor took his text from Ezra the eighth, 21: "Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance." The old prophetic spirit seemed to have descended upon the preacher, as he reminded them of the terms of their covenant, and drew forth its meaning before them. The record of this discourse, as preserved by Gov. Winslow, is so characteristic of Robinson, so filled with the same wisdom and grace shining in his letters to the Pilgrims, that it bears the strongest internal evidence of its authenticity.

"He charged them before God and his blessed angels, to follow him no further than he followed Christ. And if God should reveal anything to them by any other instrument of his, to be as ready to receive it as ever they were to receive any truth by his ministry; for he was very confident the Lord had more truth and light yet to break forth out of his Holy Word. He took occasion also miserably to bewail the state of the Reformed Churches, who were come to a period on religion, and would go no further than the instruments of their Reformation. As for example, the Lutherans could not be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; for whatever part of God's Word he had further revealed to Calvin, they had rather die than embrace it; and so, said he, you see the Calvinists, they also stick where he

left them; a misery much to be lamented. For though they were precious, shining lights in their times, yet God had not revealed his whole will to them. And were they now alive, said he, they would be as ready to embrace further light as that they had received. Here also he put us in mind of our Church Covenant, whereby we engaged with God and one another to receive whatever light or truth should be made known to us from his written word. But withal he exhorted us to take heed what we receive for truth, and well to examine, compare, and weigh it with other Scriptures, before we receive it. For, said he, it is not possible the Christian world should come so lately out of such Anti-Christian darkness, and that full perfection of knowledge should break forth at once."

Robinson also told the church that he would be glad if some goodly minister would go over with them before he himself came; and he prophesied that there would be no difference between the Nonconformists and themselves, when once they came together out of the kingdom of England. He begged them likewise to put aside their unwillingness to appoint another pastor or teacher; but they waited long for him, and as God would have it, were without a settled minister till after his death. Mr. Prince has well noted Robinson's endeavor to take them off from their attachment to himself, that they might be more entirely free to search and follow the Scriptures.

There was great meaning in the Providence which kept the pastor from embarking with the flock. They might have leaned too much upon him, trusting in an arm of flesh. And had he come to this country, what between the love of faithful souls, the strength of a great mind, a sacred superiority of trial and suffering, and the weakness of his flock, his own power might have been too great, too suddenly accumulate, and in danger of breeding worms, as is often the case with the manna of reputation, influence, and power, when not received from God and Providence, ac