Beloved cousin, concerning your request of a book of our present settled government, there is none extant, though there be divers books written by our pastors touching the matters in controversy between the Church of England and us, and touching the differences between us and the other churches here.

The order of the worship and government of our Church is, 1. We begin with a prayer; after, read some one or two chapters of the Bible, give the sense thereof, and confer upon the same: that done, we lay aside our books, and after a solemn prayer made by the first speaker, he propoundeth some text out of the Scripture, and prophesieth out of the same by the space of one hour or three quarters of an hour. After him standeth up a second speaker, and prophesieth out of the said text, the like time and place, sometimes more, sometimes less. After him the third, the fourth, the fifth, &c., as the time will give leave. Then the first speaker concludeth with prayer as he began with prayer, with an exhortation to contribution to the poor, which collection being made, is also concluded with prayer. This morning exercise begins at eight of the clock and continueth unto twelve of the clock. The like course and exercise is observed in the afternoon from two of the clock unto five or six of the clock. Last of all, the execution of the government of the Church is handled.

Loving cousin, I have by this bearer sent unto you a book of the making of Mr. Smith, our pastor: I wish you diligently to peruse, and seriously with judgment to examine the same, and if you request any more of this or any other argument written by him, either for yourself or for your friends, to signify the same unto us by your letters and we will (the Lord willing) procure the same so that you find a

faithful messenger to whom we may safely commit the carriage thereof, for we have heretofore sent divers books into England, and they have perished through the . of the carrier, and came not into the hands of the parties unto whom they were sent.

Yours in the Lord, at all times to use,

Hugh and Anne Bromhead.

To their loving cousin

William Hamerton, at

London, this be delivered."

V.

Extract from a CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY of NEW ENGLAND: by Thomas Prince, M.A., 12mo. Boston, 1736.

We have here an excellent account of the distinction of the two Separatist Churches, both originating in the joining borders of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire, Smith's at Amsterdam, and Robinson's at Leyden: the latter only being entitled to the distinction of being the founders of the New England community.

"Some noted writers not with a sufficient accuracy studied in the Religious History of those times have through great mistake represented as if this people were a congregation of Brownists. But even Baylie himself, that bitter inveigher, both against the Brownists and Independents, owns that Mr. Robinson, their pastor, was a man

of excellent parts, and the most learned, polished, and modest spirit as ever separated from the Church of England; that the apologies he wrote were very handsome: that by Dr. Ames and Mr. Parker he was brought to a greater moderation than he at first expressed; that he ruined the rigid separation allowing the lawfulness of communicating with the Church of England in the word and prayer, though not in the sacraments and discipline; that he was a principal overthrower of the Brownists, and became the Author of Independency.' The like account of Mr. Robinson, Hornius also gives us. And how inconsistent is it then to call him or his people Brownists when he was known to be a principal overthrower of them.

Agreeably, Hornius, from my Lord Brook, seems to express himself in this more accurately than other writers, by dividing those who separated from the Church of England into two sorts, viz.: (1) The Rigid Separatists or Brownists; (2) The Semi-Separatists or Robinsonians, who, after a while, were called Independents, and still retain the And so distant were the former in their principles and temper from the latter; that as the chief seat of the Brownists was then at Amsterdam; Governor Winslow, a principal member of Mr. Robinson's Church, acquaints us "that the Brownists there would hardly hold communion with the people at Leyden."

name.

The same gentleman also tells us, "that Mr. Robinson was always against separation from any of the Churches of Christ, holding communion with the Reformed Churches, both in Scotland, France, and the Netherlands; that his study was for peace and union so far as might agree with faith and a good conscience: but for the Government of the Church of England, as in the Episcopal way, the

Liturgy, and stinted prayers, yea, the constitution of the church as national, and so 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 by the church under him: that the Church of Leyden made no schism or separation from the Reformed Churches, but as occasion offered held communion with them. For we, says Governor Winslow, ever placed a large difference between those who ground their practice on the word of God, though differing from us in the exposition or understanding of it, and those who hated such Reformers and reformation and went on in AntiChristian opposition to it and persecution of it, as the late Lord Bishops did. Nevertheless, Mr. Robinson allowed hearing the Godly Ministers of the Church of England preach and pray in the public assemblies; yea, allowed private communion with them and with all the faithful in the kingdom and elsewhere upon all occasions." None of which would the Brownists ever allow.

""Tis true, says Governor Winslow, we profess and desire to practise a separation from the world and the works of the world, which are the works of the flesh, such as the Apostle speaks of, Eph. v. 19-21; 1 Cor. vi. 9—11, and Eph. ii. 11, 12. And as the Churches of Christ are all Saints by calling; so we desire to see the Grace of God shining forth, at least seemingly (leaving secret things to God) in all we admit into Church fellowship, and to keep off such as openly wallow in the mire of their sins that neither the holy things of God, nor the communion of the Saints may be thereby leavened or polluted. And if any joining to us when we lived at Leyden or since we came to New England have with the manifestation of their faith

and profession of holiness held forth there with separation from the Church of England; I have diverse times in the one place heard Mr. Robinson, our pastor, and in the other, Mr. Brewster, our elder, stop them forthwith, showing them that we required no such thing at their hands, but only to hold forth faith in Jesus Christ, holiness in the fear of God, and submission to every divine appointment, leaving the Church of England to themselves and to the Lord, to whom we ought to pray to reform what was amiss among them."

Perhaps Hornius was the only person who gave this people the title of Robinsonians. But had he been duly acquainted with the generous principles both of the people, and their famous pastor, he would have known that nothing was more disagreeable to them than to be called by the name of any mere man whatever; since they renounced all attachment to any mere human systems or expositions of the Scripture, and reserved an entire and perpetual liberty of searching the inspired records and of forming both their principles and practice from those discoveries they should make therein without imposing them on others. This appears in their original Covenant in 1602, as we observed before. And agreeable to this, Governor Winslow tells us, that when the Plymouth people parted from their renowned Pastor with whom they had always lived in the most entire affection "he charged us before God and his blessed Angels to follow him no further than he followed Christ: And if God should reveal anything to us by any other instrument of his to be as ready to receive it as ever we 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