from heaven, preach any other gospel or word than that which Christ and his apostles in the written Word, hath delivered unto us, 'let him be accursed." It is the fate of genius, to be exuberant; so accordingly he pictures himself, p. 15, uttering, "Let me advise you, my Brethren, to take great heed lest, by your unjust jars, ye come too near the number and nature of those to whom our Saviour pronounces woe, for offending any of his innocent and peaceable little ones' of the Presbyterian party, his undoubted beloved ones... For, believe it, my Brethren, ye give us too great cause to set a 'mark upon youRev. vi. [xiii.] 17—for raising and causing such unjust divisions and offences among us, and to wish ye had all kept in New England and Holland still, than thus to come among us to molest our, at first, so hopeful and happy peace and reformation." The improvement of which is, certainly, the great master-stroke in the whole " Picture :" "Only herein," he adds, "we may and must see the hand of God sorely upon us, in thus raising you up, who, we hoped, would and should have been a mighty help unto us, to help to whip us for our former unworthy walking!" Thus much for Vicars, at present.

CHAP. LXIV.

ALLIN AND SHEPARD. THE DESIRES OF THE INDEPENDENTS.

OUR 35th chapter affords the requisite preliminary information to the piece which we have appropriated to this place, intituled "A Defence of the Answer made unto the Nine Questions or Positions sent from New England, against the Reply thereto by that Reverend Servant of Christ Mr. John Ball, intituled A Trial of the New Church-Way in New England and in Old :' Wherein, beside a more full opening of sundry Particulars concerning Liturgies, Power of the Keys, Matter of the Visible Church, etc.; is more largely handled that Controversy concerning the Catholic Visible Church; tending to clear up the Old Way of Christ in New England Churches. By John Allin, Pastor of Dedham, [and] Thomas Shepard, Pastor of Cambridge, in New England. London, 1648." 4to. pp. 211.*

The Preface, dated Nov. 28th, 1645, begins with an allusion to the "profession" made by our Lord, John xviii. 37, followed with these remarks, "We confess we have been too slow in this service of Christ,

a With singular impropriety apparently, the title-page of this book has been changed to the following, while the remainder of the impression is the same as the above, the preface being subscribed with the joint names: "A Treatise of Liturgies, Power of the Keys, and of Matter of the Visible Church. In Answer to the Reverend Servant of Christ Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometime Fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge; and late Pastor of Cambridge in New England. London, 1653."

not having to this day set forth a unanimous confession of that form of wholesome words which is preached, received, and professed in these churches of the Lord Jesus; and which we are not unmindful of, though our distances and other difficulties may delay the opportunity. But this, in the mean time, we profess in general, That-so far as we know -there is the same blessed Spirit of truth' breathing in the ministry of the country; the same faith embraced and professed in the churches, which is generally received as the orthodox doctrine of the Gospel in the best Reformed churches, and particularly by our godly learned brethren of England and Scotland. And though errors have sprung

up among us, and some are gone from us that we fear were not with us, yet we have borne witness against them... Some brief answers sent over to some particular persons, to satisfy our brethren what our Practice is with some brief touch of our reasons-rather than to discuss those points, have been printed by some without our knowledge or assent, upon what grounds they best know. And some short treatises by some reverend brethren have been published... But.. we have been too slow to clear our doctrine and practice from the many objections, harsh interpretations, and manifold criminations cast upon the same:.. but now, we see ourselves pressed hereto;.. for we perceive, by the first Letter of our Brethren, how the withdrawing of Christians from the Liturgy was imputed to us; and by this Reply,.. we cannot but see what apprehensions are raised of us. Yea, many are apt to think that if we had said nothing, yet our very act in forsaking the churches of God in our dear native country, and the cause of Christ there; together with the practice of these churches, thought to be so different from the Reformed Churches; have [has] been not only a great weakening to the hands of the godly that have stood by the cause of Christ, but also have [has] caused great disturbance to the Reformation in hand...

same.

"Yet let us entreat all the godly wise to consider, and look back upon the season of this great enterprise undertaken by us; and the manner of our proceedings in it, with the admirable workings of God's Providence, first and last, about it; and we think-though we were silent-they may easily satisfy themselves whether this was of God or men, a sinful neglect of the Cause of Christ, or a manifest attestation to the Truth by open profession against corruptions of Worship in use; .. and that confirmed by no small degree of sufferings for the For, was it not a time when human worship and inventions were grown to such an intolerable height, that the consciences of God's saints and servants enlightened in the Truth, could no longer bear them ? Was not the power of the tyrannical Prelates so great, that like a strong current [it] carried all down [the] stream, before it; whatever was, from the law or otherwise, set in their way? Did not the hearts of men generally fail them? Where was the people to be found, that would cleave to their godly ministers in their sufferings; but rather thought it their discretion to provide for their own quiet and safety? yea, when some freely, in zeal of the Truth, preached or professed against the corruptions of the times; did not some take offence at it, judge it rashness, and to be against all rules of discretion,

who since are ready to censure us for deserting the cause?.. We cannot see but the rule of Christ, to his apostles and saints, and the practice of God's saints in all ages, may allow us this liberty as well as others, to flee into the wilderness from the face of the Dragon.a But if it had been so, that the godly Ministers and Christians that fled to New England were the most timorous and faint-hearted of all their brethren that staid behind; and that those sufferings were nothing in comparison of their brethren's-for why should any boast of sufferings?-yet who doth not know that the Spirit.. in such times, doth single out every one to such work as he in wisdom intends to call them unto?.. It is a case of conscience frequently put, and oft resolved by holy Bradford, Peter Martyr, Philpot, and others, in Queen Mary's bloody days:.. to which, their answer was, That if God gave a spirit of courage and willingness to glorify Him by sufferings, they should stay; but if.. not, .. they might lawfully flee; yea, they advised them thereunto... And what if God will have his church and the kingdom of Christ, grow up also in these remote parts of the world, that his Name may be known to the heathen, or whatsoever other end he hath; and to this end, will send forth a company of weak-hearted Christians which dare not stay at home to suffer; why should we not let the Lord alone, and rejoice that Christ is preached, howsoever, and wheresoever? And who can say that this work was not undertaken and carried on with sincere and right ends, and in a holy, serious manner, by the chief and the body of such as undertook the same?..

"Look from one end of the heaven to another, whether the Lord hath essayed to do such a work as this in any nation; so to carry out a people of His own from so flourishing a State to a Wilderness so far distant, for such ends and for such a work!.. only in hopes of enjoying Christ in His ordinances, in the fellowship of His people. Was this, from a stupid senselessness or desperate carelessness what became of us or ours; or want of natural affections to our dear country, or nearest relations?" No surely!.. What shall we say of the singular Providence of God bringing so many ship-loads of his people through so many dangers, as upon eagles' wings, with so much safety from year to year?.. giving such healthfulness and great increase of posterity. What shall we say of the work itself, of the kingdom of Christ? And, [of] the form of a commonwealth erected in a wilderness, and in so few years brought to that state that scarce the like can be seen in any of our English colonies in the richest places of this America, after many more years standing?..

"Two things chiefly inclined us to undertake this work; first, to clear up such truths as we conceive to be according to the mind of Christ, which were obscured by this Reply: secondly, and that especially, hoping that what we should write would tend rather to a peaceable healing of offences and differences than otherwise... Though we be the meanest and weakest of many, to take upon us thus to speak to our dear countrymen, yet through the grace of Christ who put us into the ministry, we have bestowed a great part of our labours in these parts, neither [not] we hope, altogether in vain; which makes

a Rev. xii. 14.

us somewhat the more engaged and encouraged to write as we do... Nov. 28th, 1645."

Thus much only, from a Preface spread over twenty-five pages. From five pages of " Advertisements to the Reader," we take only the close: "The name of this servant of Christ [John Ball], now asleep, is an ointment poured out and precious to us; we could therefore have wished it our portion to have answered the book without the least reflecting upon him, but the necessity herein is unavoidable. This only we add, that whatever weaknesses may pass from us, let them not be imputed to those servants of Christ that set us on work, and have wanted leisure to review what is here done. Every one may not be, in all things, of the same mind with us, for they may meet us in the same end though they use not the same arguments;.. yet we know that we are not alone in anything, but may safely say thus much, That what is here defended is generally acknowledged and received in these churches of Christ."

66

Chap. i.--Concerning the Title [of the Reply].-Whereas it is called a New Church-Way,' we little expected that Brethren studious of Reformation, who have been so exercised with imputations of novelty, would have so readily, and in the frontispiece, cast the same upon us who, with them, desire to walk in the first ways of our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy apostles ! . . A new edition of the old churchway of godly Reformers; in some things, perhaps, corrected and amended; is no New Church-Way;' or if it be thought the mending of some crooks in the old way makes a New Way,' we answer with Junius, in a case not unlike, Utcunque novam esse videatur, attamen quæcunque sunt vestra, fuerunt nova, ac non propterea novitatis nomine vitiosa, nisi forte novam pro renovatà et restitutà accipitis; quo sensu novam esse hanc viam agnoscimus. One thing more in the title page,.. whereas it is said, 'This treatise of Mr. Ball was penned a little before his death, and sent over 1637,' it seems to be a mistake of the printer; for the Nine Questions' themselves were sent over 1636; the Answer returned 1638, but miscarrying another was sent 1639; from which time we longingly expected a return, but.. we never.. received any till this printed Reply.. came occasionally to our hands, 1644. Concerning the Epistle to the Reader;'.. we desire our Brethren to consider the date of Mr. Ball's book printed for Stinted Liturgies," one chief part of this controversy, and the printed Answer to the Nine Questions; and let that resolve the question, Who of us came first volunteers' into the field...

Chap. ii. That a Stinted Form of Prayer and Set Liturgy is Unlawful."— . . Though all of us could not concur to condemn all Set Forms as unlawful; yet we could in this, namely, That though some Set Forins may be lawful, yet it will not follow that this of the English Liturgy is, Therefore, to remove all obscurities and break all snares, and resolve the question in the true intent of it, we were forced to distinguish of Forms, and so touch the true Helena' of this controversy and therefore if any shall narrowly observe Mr. Ball's large defence of Set Forms in general, they shall find those wings a Lib. i. Paral. vi. b See back, vol. ii, p. 22. e Ibid. p. 46. a Ibid. p. 23.

spread forth in a very great breadth to give some shelter and warmth to that particular Liturgy then languishing and hastening, through age and feebleness, towards its last end. . . Concerning Forms of Catechisms and Confessions of Faith, if religiously and perspicuously framed, we account them of singular use-though abused by men,— nor without some sacred allowance: yet from hence to infer the like use of Set Forms of Prayers, neither our reasons nor any other will enforce for catechisms and confessions-as well as psalms-in the nature of the thing, required, in some sense, a set and limited form; but public prayers, though they may admit of a set and comely order in the general, to prevent error, yet of their own nature they require no set form, for God gives us no new matter or doctrine daily to be believed, but he gives new matter of new affection in prayer daily... We confess there is danger in casting by all forms of confessions and catechisms, lest, through the instability of ungrounded and heady men pretending new light, or searching after further light, the churches adhere to nothing; and their faith-as the learned Leyden Professors term it, become ' fides horaria' or 'menstrua', the faith of an hour or month, and then cast it off the next. And on the other side, there is danger that by imposing such confessions too far, that which is indeed further light be supprest. We, therefore, think it useful and needful to pave out such highways of catechisms and confessions so as the subjects of Christ Jesus our King and Lawgiver may walk therein without shackles; reserving liberty for further future light in points less clear, yet standing in a readiness always to confess and hold fast the present truth which appears most clear. Concerning Forms of blessing, baptizing, singing Scripture psalms, there is a far differing reason from this case; for the Lord himself hath left us Forms, in these cases, not only for instruction, but allowing the use of the same; as Num. vi. 23-26; Luke x. 5; Matt. xxviii. 19; 2 Chron. xxix. 30; and therefore, such may be used as He hath left. Yet the Lord hath not imposed-some of these at least―to be used always and only in His churches; much less doth He allow any men to impose their own Forms upon His churches, or [require any men to] conform to such as are tyrannously imposed... The Answer calls [the communion book] not a monument of idolatry' for some corruptions only found in it, though the corruptions in matter and manner, be objected as the first reason why we used it not,-but [for] being never commanded of God, greatly abused unto idolatry and superstition, and of no necessary use; the same that was in popery for substance... Hear what a late godly and learned writer speaks, Rejicimus illas precum, cultusque publici formulas, quæ, etc.-ecclesiæ filios. ['We reject also those forms of prayers and public worship, which, etc.-Sons of the Church.']'...

"Chap. iii. [1]-That it is not lawful to join in Prayer, or receive the Sacrament, where a Stinted Liturgy is used: Or, as we conceive your meaning to be in this as in the former; namely, where and when that Stinted Liturgy is used!-We have ever conceived that the Synopsis Theologiæ. b Apollonii. cap. vii. q. 2: see back, vol. ii. p. 426. e See back, vol. ii. p. 26.