Church history of New England from 1620 to 1804 : containing a view of the principles and practice, declensions and revivals, oppression and liberty of the churches, and a chronological table

Front matter

/IT i'

xN « V- ! e_

'^-«3^-- ip ff I ^

Preface

The experience of mankind, from age to age, gives the best light to direct our ways of any human means ; and the record of the word of God is our only sure guide to eternal life. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is the way to bring us to that happy end ; and though the writings of all uninspired men are imperfect, yet by comparing their various accounts together, we may gain much instruction from them about the accomplishment of prophecy, and many other things.

These things were much upon my mind in early life, especially about the history of my own country. And when the knowledge of experimental religion was given me, above threescore years ago, it increased my attention to these things. But when some of our chief ministers requested me to engage to write our history, in 1771, the greatness of the work, and the difficulty of obtaining the necessary materials, were great objections in my way. Yet their importunity prevailed ; and I spent much of my time in going to, and searching of the records of the old colonies of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and of the United Colonies, which last are at Plymouth. I also searched many other records and papers, as well as books of various kinds, and inquired of intelligent persons, to get all the light I could from every quarter. And our first volume was published in

2* 17

18 PREFACE.

1777, the second in 1784, and the third in 1796 ; and I never heard of any thing published against the work, though I desired that it might be corrected.

As several things have come to light of late, that I had not before, and my ability for writing is continued to old age,* I have thought it to be [my] duty to reduce the most useful things into one volume, with a concise view of our Southern States, as well as to bring the history down to the present time. And as writers are often incorrect in their dates, I have paid much attention to that subject; and have given an exact table of events, according to what light I could gain, following the old style, until the new took place in 1752.

Many of the new things in this volume were taken from Winthrop's Journal, published in 1790 ; from the publications of the Historical Society at Boston, and from a book which I borrowed of them, called " The Bloody Tenet," of which I know not of another copy in America. The accounts of our Southern States were collected partly when I was in North Carolina and Virginia, in 1789, and partly from other sources of intelligence. And in the experience of two centuries, in this great country, we may see a great variety of different schemes of government that have been tried, which may direct our choice to what is right, and to avoid evil ways ; especially to guard against all cruelty, deceit, and violence. These things are humbly presented to the public, by their aged friend, Isaac Backus.

Mlddleborough, August 30, 1804.

* Eighty on January 20, 1804.

A

CHURCH HISTORY

OF

NEW ENGLAND.

Chapter I

Their first church formed — They divide into two — They remove to Amsterdam — One goes to Ley den — They increase to three hundred — Part of them come to America — Here many of them die. Yet the rest are prospered — Robinson dies in Holland — Yet more come over — Their charter given — Their church order.

The light of revelation, and the superstitions and persecutions of the Church of England, were the causes of the first planting of New England. A number of people near the borders of the counties of York, Nottingham, and Lincoln, were so much convinced of the corruptions of the Church of England, that they withdrew from her in 1602, and formed another church, in which they covenanted together, to walk in all the ordinances and commandments of God, according to the light he had given, or should give them out of his holy word. But for so doing they Vere cruelly persecuted by the ruling powers of the national church. Yet they increased so much in about four years, as to divide into two churches ; and this increased the resentment of their enemies so much, that they removed to Amsterdam, in 1608. One of these churches had the aged Mr. Richard Clifton, and Mr. John Robinson for their pastors ; but Clifton died at Amsterdam * And as contentions had broken out in the other church, Mr. Robinson and his people removed to Leyden, in 1609, though to their temporal disadvantage. There they lived in peace and harmony, and increased to three hundred communicants.

This caused much uneasiness in the Church of England, and many things were published against them. Mr. Richard Bernard of Nottinghamshire, in particular, wrote a large book against them, which Mr. Robinson answered in 1610; and he observes, that because one Bolton, in the early part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, formed a church in a way of separation from the Church of England, which persecution brought him to renounce, and afterwards to hang himself; and Robert Brown, a minister of that church, came out and formed several separate churches, and yet turned back again into the national church, Mr. Bernard brought these instances as arguments against all who separated from them. Upon which Robinson said, " The universal apostasy of all the bishops, ministers, students in the universities, yea, of the whole Church of England in Queen Mary's days, (a handful in comparison excepted,) might more colourably be urged by the papists against Mr. Bernard, than some few instances against us. The fall of Judas, an apostle ; of Nicolas, one of the seven deacons ; and of Demas, one of Paul's special companions in the ministry, sufficiently teach us that there is no cause so holy, nor calling so excellent, as not to be subject to the invasion of painted hypocrites."! And as Mr. Bernard referred to many evils in the primitive churches, as a plea that the Church of England might be a true church of Christ, notwithstanding all her corruptions, Robinson says, "It is true that the apostles mentioned them, but always with utter dislike, se^^ere reproof, and strict charges to reform them. Rom. xvi. 17. 1 Cor, V. iThess. v. 14. 2 Thess. iii. 6. 1 Tim. vi. 5. Rev. ii. 14 — 16. 20. But how doth this concern you ? Though Paul and all the apostles with him ; yea, though Christ himself from heaven should admonish any of your

* Prince's Chronology, 254. j- Robinson, 53 — 55.

1613.] ARMINIAN CONTROVERSY. 21

cliurches to put away any person, though never so heretical or flagitious, you could not do it."* " Your prelates govern, or rather reign, but teach not ; your parish priests teach so much as they dare for fear of their imperious lords, but they govern not."t '' Nothing hath more advanced the throne of antichrist in former days, nor doth more uphold it at this day, than the people's discharging themselves of the care of public affairs in the church, on the one side, and the priests and prelates arrogating all to themselves, on the other. "J '' And I doubt not but Mr. Bernard, and a thousand more ministers in the land, (were they secure from the magistrates' sword, and might they go on wdth good license,) 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."§

This remark was plainly verified in the vast numbers who afterwards came over to New England, who did not separate from the national church before they came away. The following account may give us some idea of his views of gospel doctrines. James Arminius, a professor of divinity in the University of Leyden, died there in 1609 ; but the opinions he had advanced have caused much controversy ever since. It was so sharp at Leyden in 1612, between the two professors in their university, that few of the disciples of the one would hear the other; but Mr. Robinson, though he preached thrice a week, and wrote sundry books, besides many other labours, yet went constantly to hear them both, whereby he was grounded in the controversy, and saw the force of all their arguments. And in 1613, Episcopius set forth sundry Arminian theses at Leyden, which he would defend in public against all opposers ; upon which Polyander, and the chief preachers of the city, desired Mr. Robinson to dispute against him. But being a stranger, he was loath to engage. Yet the other telling him, that such was the ability and expertness of the adversary, that truth was in danger of suffering if he would not help them, he at length yields ; and when the day came, he defended the truth and foiled the opposer, so as to put him to an apparent nonplus in a great and public audience. The same he does a second and a third time, upon like occasions ; which caused many to praise God, and highly to esteem Mr. Eobinson.*

Thus it appears that Mr. Robinson was a firm believer of those doctrines which are called Calvinism, while he v/as earnest for allowing all men liberty of conscience ; and that the contrary behaviour of many was not owing to that plan of doctrine, but to other causes. For the rulers in Holland held firmly to that doctrine, and yet they established such religious liberty as was not then enjoyed in any other part of Europe. But though their religious privileges were great, yet many other things caused Mr. Robinson and his people to desire a removal to a better country. For most of them had been bred to husbandry, which they had not advantages to follow in Holland ; and the language and manners of the Dutch were not agreeable to them ; and their little regard to the Sabbath, and other religious duties, were offensive to them ; and the climate of the country was not favourable to their health, but their children were oppressed with labour and disease, so as to abate the vigour of nature in early age ; neither could they be willing to lose their interest in the English nation, and the government thereof, if they could obtain liberty of conscience from thence. And they believed that if they could have such liberty granted them in America, many would remove thither, who would enlarge the English dominions, and also spread the light of the gospel among the heathen. They therefore sent two agents to England in 1617, to petition for such liberties and privileges. And having received some encouragement from the council there, who had the care of the American affairs, Mr. Robinson and Elder Brewster wrote to them these encouraging considerations. "1. We verily believe and trust that the Lord is with us ; to Avhom and whose service

* Prince's Chronology, p. 36. 38.

1620.] EMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 23

we have given ourselves in many trials, and that he will graciously prosper our endeavours according to the simplicity of our hearts. 2. We are well weaned from the delicate milk of our mother country, and inured to the difficulties of a strange land. 3. The people are, for the body of them, industrious and frugal, we think we may safely say, as any company of people in the world. 4. We are knit together as a body, in a most strict and sacred bond and covenant of the Lord ; of the violation whereof we make great conscience, and by virtue whereof we hold ourselves straitly tied to all care of each other's good, and of the whole. 5. It is not with us, as with other men, whom small things can discourage, and small discouragements cause to wish ourselves at home again."* Herein they were not mistaken, as will soon appear; for though contentions in said council, and other things, delayed their proceedings for three years, and they could not obtain a promise of liberty of conscience in this country, but only that the king would connive at them, and not molest them, if they carried peaceably, "yet, casting themselves on the care of Providence, they resolved to venture." But as they could not obtain help enough, from the merchant adventurers in England, to ^arry over half of their society at first, Mr. Robinson was obliged to stay with the majority in Holland, while Elder Brewster came with the rest to America. And before they came away Mr. Robinson gave them this solemn advice. Said he, '' We are now to part asunder, and the Lordknoweth whether I shall live to see vour faces ao^ain : but whether he hath appointed it or not, I charge you before God and his blessed angels, to follow me no further than I have followed Christ.

And if God shall reveal any thing to you by any other instrument of his, be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry ; for 1 am very confident that the Lord has more truth and light yet to break forth out of his holy word. Here he took occasion to bewail the state and condition 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 will he had further imparted and revealed to Calvin, they will rather die than embrace it. And so 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 living, they would be as ready and willing to embrace further light, as that they had received. And here I must put you in mind of our church covenant, wherein we promis-e and covenant with God and one another, to receive whatsoever light or truth that shall be made known to us from his written word. But withal I exhort you to take heed what you receive for truth, and well to examine and compare it with other Scriptures before you receive it ; for it is not possible that the Christian world should come so lately out of such thick antichristian darkness, and that full perfection of knowledge should break forth at once."* And after an affectionate parting, Mr. Robinson, on July 27, 1620, sent them the following letter :

" Loving Christian Friends, " I do heartily, and in the Lord salute you, as being those with whom I am present in my best affections, and most earnest longing after you, though I be constrained for a while to be bodily absent from you : I say constrained ; God knowing how willing, and much rather than otherwise, I would have borne my part with you in this first brunt, were I not by strong necessity held back for the present. Make account of me in the mean time as a man divided in myself, with great pain and as (natural bonds set aside) having my better part with you : and although I doubt not but in your godly wisdoms you both foresee and resolve upon that w^hich concerneth your present state and condition, both severally and jointly ; yet have I thought it but my duty to add some further

1620.] PASTORAL LETTER. 25

spur of provocation unto them who run akeady, if not because you need it, yet because I owe it in love and duty. And first, as we are daily to renew our repentance with our God, especially for our sins known, and generally for our unknown trespasses ; so doth the Lord call us in a singular manner, upon occasions of such difficulty and danger as lieth upon you, to both a narrow search and careful reformation of your ways in his sight, lest he, calling to remembrance our sins forgotten by us, or unrepented of, take advantage against us, and in judgment leave us to be swallowed up in one danger or other. Whereas, on the contrary, sin being taken away by earnest repentance, and the pardon thereof from the Lord sealed up to a man's conscience by his Spirit, great shall be his security and peace in all dangers, sweet his comforts in all distresses, with happy deliverance from evil, whether in life or death. " Now, next after this heavenly peace with God and our consciences, we are carefully to provide for peace with all men, w^hat lieth in us, especially with our associates ; and, for that watchfulness must be had, that we neither at all in ourselves do give, no, nor easily take offence being given by others. Wo be to the world for offences ; for although it be necessary, considering the malice of Satan and men's corruptions, that offences come, yet wo unto the man, or woman either, by whom the offence cometh, saith Christ, Matt, xviii. 7. And if offences in the unseasonable use of things in themselves indifferent be more to be feared than death itself, as the apostle teacheth, 1 Cor. ix. 15, how much more in things simply evil, in which neither the honour of God, nor love to man is thought worthy to be regarded ! Neither yet is it sufficient that we keep ourselves by the grace of God from giving offence, except withal we be armed against taking of them when they are given by others ; for how imperfect and lame is the work of grace in that person, who wants charity to cover a multitude of offences ! as the Scripture speaks. Neither are you to be exhorted to this grace, only upon common grounds of Christianity, which are, that persons ready to take offence either want charity to cover offences, or duly to weio^h human frailties ;

ur, lastly, are gross though close hypocrites, as Christ our Lord teacheth, Matt. vii. 1—3. ,As, indeed, in my own experience, few or none have been found who sooner give offence, than such as easily take it ; neither have they ever proved sound and profitable members in societies, who have nourished this touchy humour. But, besides these, there are divers motives provoking you above others to great care and conscience of this way ; as first, there are many of you strangers as to the persons so to the infirmities of one another, and so stand in need of more watchfulness this way, lest when such things fall out in men and women as you expected not, you be inordinately affected with them, which doth require at your hands much wisdom and charity for the covering and preventing of incidental offences that way. And, lastly your intended course of civil community'^ will ministe: continual occasion of offence, and be as fuel for that fire, except you diligently quench it Avith brotherly forbearance. And if taking offence causelessly or easily at man's doings, be so carefully to be avoided, how much more heed is to be taken that we take not offence at God himself! which we certainly do, so oft as we murmur at his providence in our crosses, or bear impatiently such afilictions wherewith he is pleased to visit us. Store up therefore patience against the evil day ; without which we take offence at the Lord himself in his holy and just works. There is a fourth thing carefully to be provided for, viz. : That with your common employments you join common affections truly bent upon the general good, av^oiding as a deadly plague of both your common and special comforts, all retiredness of mind for proper advantage, and all singularly affected every manner of way ; let every man repress in himself, and the whole body in each person, as so many rebels against the common good, all private respects of men's selves, not sorting with the general convenience. And as men are careful not to have a new house shaken with violence, before it be well settled, and the parts firmly knit ; so be you, I beseech you,

* For seven years their affairs were managed in one common stock

1630.^ PASTORAL LETTER. 27

brethren, much more careful that the house of God (which you are) be not shaken with unnecessary novelties, or other oppositions at the first settling- thereof.

" Lastly, whereas you are to become a body politic, using civil government among yourselves, and are not furnished with special eminency above the rest, to be chosen by you into office of government ; let your wisdom and godliness appear, not only in choosing such persons as do entirely love, and will promote the common good ; but also in yielding unto them all due honour and obedience in iheir lawful administrations ; not beholding in them the ordinariness of their persons, but God's ordinance for your good ; not being like the foolish multitude, who honour the gay coat more than either the virtuous mind of the man, or the glorious ordinance of the Lord ; but you know better things, and that the image of the Lord's power and authority, which the magistrate beareth, is honourable in how mean persons soever; and this duty you may the more willingly, and ought the more conscionably to perform, because you are (at least for the present) to have them for your ordinary governors, which yourselves shall make choice of for that work.

" Sundry other things of importance I could put you in mind of, and of those before mentioned in more words ; but I will not so far wrong your godly minds, as to think you heedless of these things, there being also divers among you .so well able both to admonish themselves and others of what concerneth them. These few things, therefore, and the same in a few words, I do earnestly commend to your care and conscience, joining therein with my daily incessant prayers unto the Lord, that he who made the heavens, and the earth, and sea, and all rivers of water, and whose providence is over all his works, especially over all his dear children for good, would so guide and guard you in your ways, as inwardly by his Spirit, so outwardly by the hand of his power, as that both you, and we also, for and with you, may have after matter of praising his name all the days of your and our lives. Fare you well in him in whom you trust, and in whom I rest, an unfeigned well-wisher to your happysuccess in your hopeful voyage. , John Robinson."*

This they received at Southampton in England ; and these excellent instructions had lasting influence upon their posterity. Two ships had been provided to carry them to America, but after sailing twice, and turning back, one of them w^as left and the other sailed from Plymouth, September 6, and landed on Cape Cod, November 11. And as this was northward of where they had any patent, they drew a covenant for their civil government, which was signed before they landed, by John Carver, William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Isaac Allerton, V/illiam Brewster, Miles Standish, John Alden, Samuel Fuller, and thirty -three more, their whole number being 101 souls. Mr. Carver was chosen their governor ; and they had a tedious time to find out a place to settle in ; but on December 16, 1620, the ship came into the harbour which they called Plymouth, and then they had to build themselves habitations, in a cold winter season, without any friend to help them. They intended to have gone to Hudson's river, bat the Dutch had hired the master of the ship deceitfully to prevent it ; though God meant it for their good ; for the Indians were numerous there, while there were none here. A great sickness a few years before had laid this place desolate, and had swept off most of the Indians for forty miles round, so that those who remained were glad of their help against the Narragansets, where the sickness did not reach ; and here were fields ready cleared for them, who had no cattle to help them till several years after.

How wonderful are the works of God ! Yea, and his judgments are a great deep ; for by reason of their long voyage, and the difficulties of the winter following, without good accommodations, near half of their company died in six months, among whom was Governor Carver and his wife. Yet the survivors were wonderfully supported, and the chief sachem of the Indians in these parts

1623.] EARLY PRIVATIONS. 29

came to Plymouth, in March, 1621, and entered into a friendly covenant with them, which lasted all their days. Afterwards some friends in England wrote to them, and said, " we are still persuaded, you are the people that must make a plantation, and erect a city in those remote places, when all others fail."*' And they will be remembered to the latest posterity.

Massassoit, the sachem who had made a league with them, having found out a plot which was laid against the English in the spring of 1623, by some Indians in Massachusetts bay, informed our fathers of Plymouth of it, and advised them to cut off a few leaders in it, whom he named, which they did, and so the plot was entirely crushed.! Such a scarcity also came upon them in that year, that they had no bread at Plymouth from the time of their planting until their corn was grown ; but they lived upon fish, deer, fowls, and ground nuts. And to add to their trials, a great drought came on with heat, from the third week in May to the middle of July, so that their corn withered as if it were dead; and a ship which they had long expected did not arrive, but they thought )hey saw signs of its being wrecked on the coasts. This was distressing indeed ; but their authority set apart a day of fasting and prayer to seek help from their God, and they found it was not in vain ; for though the former part of the day was clear and hot, yet before their exercise was over the clouds gathered, and distilled next morning in gentle showers, and so for fourteen days together, which revived their corn and other fruits, so that they had a plentiful harvest. And soon after, the ship which they expected arrived, and another in a few days, wherein came sixty of their friends.! And they never had such scarcity afterwards.

Mr. Robinson and the most of his people were detained in Holland, until, after a short sickness, he died there on March 1, 1625, in the fiftieth year of his age, greatly lamented by his people both there and here. His family

* Historical Society, vol. iii. p. 33.

I came over afterwards, and his son Isaac lived to be above ninety years old, and left male posterity in the county of Barnstable. The company of adventurers in England would not be at the expense of conveying these and others from Leyden, and yet demanded the pay for their former expenses. Therefore, in 1628, their friends here engaged to do it, when William Bradford, Miles Standish, Isaac Allerton, Edward Winslow, William Brewster, John Rowland, John Alden, and Thomas Prince, with four friends in London, after having the trade of this colony secured to them, undertook to pay the debts of the colony in England, which were eighteen hundred pounds sterling, and also to brino; those friends over.* And in Auo^ust, 1629, thirty-five families arrived at Plymouth, from Leyden, the transporting of whom cost five hundred and fifty pounds sterling, besides supporting of them above a year more, till they had a harvest of their own, all which was freely given them.t A wonderful instance of Christian generosity.

On January 13, 1630, the council for New England gave a patent to William Bradford and his associates and assigns of all that part of New England between Cohasset rivulet towards the north, and Narraganset river towards the south, the western ocean towards the east, and between a straight line directly extending up into the main land toward the north from the mouth of Narraganset river, to the utmost bounds of a country in New England, called Pacanokit, alias Swamset, westward, and another straight line extending directly from the mouth of Cohasset river towards the west, so far into the main land westward as to the utmost limits of the said Pacanokit or Swamset extend ; and also a tract of land extending fifteen miles wide on each side of Kemiebeck river, &-c4 and this continued a distinct government until 1692. In 1621, they chose a governor and one assistant with him; in 1624, they chose five assistants; and in 1633, they chose a governor and seven assistants, and continued that number as long as they remained a distinct government.

* Historical Collections at Boston, 1794, p. 61.

1630.] CHURCH ORDER. 31

As to the government of the church, they held the power to be in each particular church, to receive and exclude members, and to choose and ordain officers, though they would act in fellowship with sister churches. As to officers, they held to having pastors, ruling elders, and deacons. Their ruling elders were to have the gifts of public teachers, but not to administer the ordinances of baptism and the holy supper. Such was Mr. William Brewster, from their first coming to this land, until he died in 1644. They also held that every brother in the church might improve his gifts in public teaching, if^ he had gifts that could edify the brethren, to whom they were to be subject. Some of their proofs for it were these: One apostle says, " he that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. And ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." 1 Cor. xiv. 3. 31. And another says, '' As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God ; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth ; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. iv. 10, 11.* Though they took much pains, yet they never obtained a pastor here, until Mr. Ralph Smith came over with the Salem company, in 1629, and not being wanted there, he came that year to Plymouth, and was their pastor about six years.