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 name. 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."

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

miserably to bewail the state of the Reformed Churches, who were come to a period in 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 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 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, &c.,"-Words almost astonishing in that age of low and universal bigotry which then prevailed in the English nation: wherein this truly great and learned man seems to be almost the only divine who was capable of rising into a noble freedom of thinking and practising in religious matters, and even of urging such an equal liberty on his own people. He labours to take them off from their attachment to him, that they might be more entirely free to search and follow the Scriptures."-pp. 86-90.