A History of New England with Particular Reference to the Denomination of Christians Called Baptist (eBook)

Volumes I & II

Isaac Backus (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2019 | 1. Auflage
1800 Seiten
CrossReach Publications (Verlag)
978-0-00-014398-3 (ISBN)

Infos

History has been so often written and improved, either for party purposes, or mere amusement, that some serious persons have been ready to treat it as a thing foreign to religion, and of little service to mankind. Yet the same persons will readily own, that nothing teaches like experience; and what is true history but the experiences of those who have gone before us? of which perhaps none have been more remarkable, since the affairs of Canaan, than those of this country. And as the present contests about liberty and government are very great, they call loudly for all the light therein that can be gained from every quarter.

Mr. Rollin, in his ancient history, says, 'The powers that be are ordained of God; but neither every use that is made of this power, nor every means for the attainment of it, are from God, though every power be of him. And when we see these governments degenerating, sometimes to violence, factions, despotic sway and tyranny, 'tis wholly to the passions of mankind that we must ascribe those irregularities which are directly opposite to the primitive institution of states; and which a superior wisdom afterwards reduces to order, always making them contribute to the execution of his designs, full of equity and justice. This scene highly deserves our attention and admiration. It is with a view of making the reader attentive to this object, that I think it incumbent on me to add to the account of facts and events what regards the manners and customs of nations; because these shew their genius and character, which we may call, in some measure, the soul of history.'

Now it may well be supposed, that men who are striving for more power over others than belongs to them, will not nor cannot set either their own or their opponents' 'genius and character' in their just light. And if it should be found, that nearly all the histories of this country which are much known, have been written by persons who thought themselves invested with power to act as lawgivers and judges for their neighbors, under the name either of orthodoxy, or of immediate power from heaven, the inference will be strong, that our affairs have never been set in so clear light as they ought to be; and if this is not indeed the case I am greatly mistaken; of which the following account will enable the reader to judge for himself.

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Textauszug

CHAPTER 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 withdrawal 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 own story. They separated from the national church near the beginning of the 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 fleeing 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,” to which Mr. John Robinson, the pastor of the church which afterward began the settlement of New England, published an answer in 1610, entitled, “A Justification of Separation from the Church of England.” As I am favored with this performance, containing four hundred and seventy-six pages in quarto, I shall from thence give the reader the author’s 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.

Mr. Bernard began his book with some things which he called “Christian Counsels of Peace,” to which Mr. Robinson answers171:—

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 clothe themselves with the habits of virtues, that under their 18[those19] 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 color, taking up the politic pretence of peace, as a weapon of more advantage, wherewith the stronger and greater party useth to beat the weaker. The papists press the protestants with the peace of the church, and, for the rent 20[which21] they have made in it, condemn them beyond the heathenish soldiers, which forebore to divide Christ’s garment; as deeply do the bishops charge the ministers refusing conformity and subscription,222 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 from above, is first pure, then peaceable,” he must make it a great part of his Christian wisdom to discern betwixt godly and gracious peace, and that which is either pretended for advantage, or mistaken by error, and so 23[to24] labor 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 25[spake26] 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 27[fornicators28], 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 29(were they secure of the magistrate’s sword, and might they go on with 30[his31] good license32) would wholly shake off their canonical obedience to their ordinaries, and neglect their citations and censures, and refuse to sue in their courts, for all the peace of the church which they commend to us for so sacred a thing. Could they but obtain license from the magistrate to use the liberties 33[liberty34] 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 profane in the land, but would break those bonds of iniquity, as easily as Samson did the cords wherewith Delilah tied him, and give good reasons also from the word of God for their so doing. Pp. 13, 14. 35[12, 13.36]

Whoever reads and well observes the history of the Massachusetts colony, I believe, will find that those remarks were neither enthusiastic 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 colorable 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. 6:14, and 8:11.… In the church of England we do acknowledge many excellent truths of doctrine, which we also teach without commixture of error, many Christian ordinances which we also practise, being purged from the pollution of antichrist; and, for the godly persons in it, 37(could we possibly separate them from the profane38) we would gladly embrace them with both arms. But, being taught by the apostle, speaking but of one wicked person, and of one Jewish ordinance, that “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,” 1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9, we cannot be ignorant how sour the English assemblies must needs be; neither may we justly be blamed though we dare not dip in their meal, lest we be soured by their leaven. Pp. 15, 16. 39[14, 15.40]

To Mr. B., who counsels that we should “bear with lighter faults for a time, till fit occasion be offered to have them amended,” he replies:—

1. No sin is light in itself, but being continued in and countenanced, destroyeth the sinner. Matt. 5:19. 2. It is the property of a profane and hardened heart evermore to extenuate and lessen sins. 3. Though the bearing and forbearing, not only of small but even of great sins also, must be for a time, yet it must be but for a time, and that is whilst reformation be orderly sought and procured. Lev. 19:17. But what time hath wrought in the church of England, all men see growing daily, by the just judgment of God, from evil to worse, and being never aforetime so impatient either of reformation or other good as at this day. 4. A man must so bear evil, as he be no way accessory unto it, by forbearing any means appointed by Christ for the amending it. P. 16. 41[15.42]

I see not upon what occasion the author should shuffle into this controversy, which is merely ecclesiastical, such considerations as he doth concerning the frame and alteration of civil states, except he would either insinuate against us, that we went about to alter the civil state of the kingdom; or, at least, that the alteration of the state ecclesiastical, must needs draw with it the alteration of the civil state; with which mote the prelates have a long time bleared the eyes of the magistrates; but how deceitfully, hath been sufficiently manifested, and offer made further to manifest the same by solemn disputation. And the truth is, that all states and policies which are of God, whether monarchical, aristocratical or democratical, or how mixed soever, are capable of Christ’s government. Neither doth the nature of the state, but the corruption of the persons, hinder the same in one or other.… And where Mr. Bernard further adviseth, rather to offend many private persons than one lawful magistrate, I doubt not he gives no worse counsel than he himself follows, who 43(except I be much deceived in him44) had rather offend half the private persons in the diocese, than one archbishop, though he be an unlawful magistrate. But let us remember our care be not to offend the Lord, and if with the offence of a private person, though never so base, be joined the offence of the Lord, better offend all, both lawful and unlawful magistrates, in the world, than such a little one. Matt. 18:6. Pp. 17, 18. 45[17, 18.46]

Another piece of counsel given by Mr. B. is, “Use the present good which thou mayest enjoy, to the utmost; and an experienced good, before thou dost trouble thyself to seek for a supposed better good, untried, which thou enjoyest not.” To this Mr. R. says:—

We may not stint or circumscribe either our knowledge, faith, or obedience, within straiter bounds than the whole revealed will of God, in the knowledge and obedience whereof we must daily increase and edify ourselves; much less must we suffer ourselves to be stripped of any liberty which Christ our Lord hath purchased for us, and given us to use for our good. Gal. 5:1. And here, as I take it, comes in the case of many hundreds in the church of England, who what good they may enjoy 47(that is safely enjoy, or without any great bodily danger48) that they use very fully. Where the ways of Christ lie open for them, by the authority of men, and...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 24.1.2019
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
• ISBN-10: 0-00-014398-7 / 0000143987
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-014398-3 / 9780000143983