America, to preach and profess the Gospel of peace, to be over forward to enter into a war with their Christian neighbors of the same reformed religion, though of another nation, upon slender, or not any considerable, grounds. By this means, the difference was at the last fairly ended, which else might have had a fatal issue to one or more of the Colonies. The Dutch Governor, on the other hand, did by his letters complain of the hasty departure of the Commissioners' agents, returning also a large declaration in his own defence, adding, Conscia mens recti famæ mendacia ridet. And upon further consideration, at a meeting in September 1654, the Commissioners of the Massachusetts did, under their hands, declare something towards the recalling the Court's former Interpretation of the Articles of Confederation, owning that six of the Commissioners had power to determine the justice of a war, and did acknowledge themselves bound to execute the same, so far as the said determinations were in themselves just and according to God. This the other Commissioners accepted, on condition the General Court would declare as much.1 But however the Colony of New Haven were prevented from engaging the Confederate Colonies in a war against the Dutch at that time, yet were they not so fully satisfied in their minds, as to desist from other attempts of that nature; for some of the chief of that Colony going that year for England, prevailed so far with those at that time in power, that they obtained a Commission for certain ships and soldiers to seize the Dutch Plantation to the use of the English; and the matter had proceeded so far, that they were with their vessels and soldiers upon the sea; but being long upon the voyage, by reason of many interruptions which they met withal, news of the peace, concluded3 between the States of Holland and the powers in England, arrived before the fleet, which occasioned the Commander-in-chief to turn his forces The offensive "Interpretation," dated June 2, 1653, may be seen in Hazard, ii. 270-3; and the subsequent acknowledgment, ibid. 307.-H. 2 Capt. John Astwood was appointed agent to England in behalf of Conn. and New Haven, in 1653; Gov. Hopkins was already there.-H. April 5, 1654.-H. Major Robert Sedgwick.-H. 3 4 another way, viz. to attack the French forts about St. John's River, which was obtained without any great resistance, and those places were thereby reduced into the power of the English, and enjoyed by them, till his Majesty now reigning was happily restored to the exercise of his regal power in England. It is said to be carried on withother Commission, than a verbal one, from some of Oliver Cromwell's commanders at sea, which possibly was one reason why it was so easily returned into the hands of them from whom it was taken not long before; nor had it any better success than designs of that nature were usually attended with, that were built upon such a like foundation. out any When they attacked those French places, the soldiers occasionally met with a paper of maxims, with which the friars were to be governed in their administration, which may sufficiently satisfy the world with what spirit and principles those of the Catholic religion are acted. CHAP. LXI.1 Ecclesiastical affairs in New England, from 1651 to 1656. THE Platform of Discipline, drawn up in 1647 and 1648, was at this time under debate, and at the last it passed the test of the whole General Court, both magistrates and deputies, and the practice of it was commended to all the churches of the jurisdiction. In the year 1651 the General Court taking it for granted that the civil power is custos utriusque tabulæ, interposed their authority in a matter of an ecclesiastical concernment, sc. the choice of a minister by the church of Malden, and passed an handsome fine or mulct upon all of the church that were actors therein, for calling the said minister to his pastoral office, without the consent and approbation of neighboring churches, and allowance of the magistrates, (if not against the same,) contrary to the approved practice of the country, provided in that But upon after thoughts, which usually are more mature than the sudden and first conceptions of men's minds, the people of Malden themselves came to see, case. 1 LX in the MS.-H. 2 Rev. Marmaduke Mathews. See Johnson, pp. 211-12; Sav. Win. i. 273, ii. 175.-H. and also were willing to acknowledge, their miscarriage, and thereby gave occasion for others to acknowledge the power of the civil authority in matters of religion, as well as in the affairs of righteousness and honesty, according to the judgment of all sober divines. And indeed let the experience of all Reformed Churches be consulted withal, and it will appear that disorder and confusion of the church will not be avoided by all the determinations, advice, and counsel of Synods, or other messengers of churches, unless they be a little actuated by the civil authority. All men are naturally so wedded to their own apprehensions, that unless there be a coercive power to restrain, the order and rule of the Gospel will not be attended. in For the preventing of the like inconveniences in the country it was soon after made into an order by the General Court, that no minister should be called unto office any of the churches, within their jurisdiction, without the approbation of some of the magistrates, as well as of the neighboring churches; on which ground, in the year 1653, the Court would not allow the north church of Boston to call Mr. Powell,' a well gifted, though illiterate person, to the stated office of a public preacher or minister, wherefore the people of the town contented themselves with his being called to the place of ruling elder, that so no occasion might be given thereby for illiterate persons, that were not able to instruct all, and convince gainsayers, to intrude themselves into the sacred function of the ministry of the Gospel. And whereas the Plantations of New England had never as yet been acquainted with the way of paying tithes, (which none of the Reformed Churches ever yet condemned as unlawful, although it was not looked upon as the most convenient for the towns and Plantations of New England,) for the support of the ministry in the several towns, it was now left to the power of every County Court throughout the whole jurisdiction, to make sufficient provision for the maintenance of the ministry in the respective towns of the Colony, and to rectify any defect, upon complaint of any such, for want of means whereby comfortably to subsist. 1 Of Michael Powell see page 511; Sav. Win. ii. 323.-н. CHAP. LXII.1 Special occurrences during this lustre, from 1651 to 1656. WITHIN the compass of this lustre was the Massachusetts deprived of two eminent and worthy persons, the one in the magistracy, the other in the ministry, which loss was the more to be lamented, in that they left neither of them any one in each of their capacities, equal with themselves. Mr. Dudley, an ancient gentleman, one of the principal founders and pillars of the Massachusetts Colony, was called from his station, July 31, 1653, in the 77th year of his age, eminently qualified with those choice virtues, fit for the discharge of the trust to which he was oft called, and wherein he always approved himself a lover of justice, and friend of truth, an enemy of all disorder, and that always bore a special antipathy against all heresy and corrupt doctrine, which made him conclude his own epitaph with this character of himself, "I died no libertine," and which gave occasion to a reverend person of the clergy to honor him with this double encomium, as well of English as Latin poesy: THOMAS DUDLEY, HOLD, MAST, WE DY. When swelling gusts of Antinomian breath Our mast now roll'd by th' board, (poor bark) we cry, EPITAPHIUM. Heluo librorum, lectorum bibliotheca Ad mensam comes, hinc facundus, rostra disertus, -H. 2 1 LXI in the MS.Conjectural; the MS. has o're, evidently a blunder of the transcriber, which was printed or in the first edition. The word in the original may have been for or and; probably it was the latter.—í. Morum acris censor, validus defensor amansque, Et sanæ, et canæ, Catholicæ fidei. Angli-Novi columen, summum decus, atque senatus, N. R.' He was the most resolved champion of the truth, above all the gentlemen in the country, in the years 1636 and 1637, at which time was New England's crisis, when many, under pretence of crying up the free grace of God in the work of man's salvation, had well nigh cashiered all the grace of God out of their hearts, endeavoring to vilify the grace of sanctification, that thereby they might exalt the grace of justification. On the 23d of December, 1652, that reverend and holy man of God, Mr. John Cotton, put off this his earthly tabernacle, being entered into the 68th year of his age. His excellent learning, profound judgment, eminent gravity, Christian candor, and sweet temper of spirit, whereby he could very placidly bear those that differed from him in their apprehensions, made him most desired while he was amongst them, and the more lamented after he was removed hence. So equal a contention between learning and meekness, magnanimity and humility, is seldom seen in any one person, and therefore did his worthy successor not unfitly, in writing his life, give him that encomium, which the German Phoenix gave unto Luther, “I," (saith he, speaking of himself,) "am a Logician, ||Pomeranus is a Grammarian, Justus Jonas is an Orator, but Luther is all." He was a famous light in his generation, a glory to both Englands; one in whom was so much of what is desirable in man, as the consciences of all that knew him appealed unto, is rarely to be seen in any one conversant upon the earth. And as concerning any tenet, wherein he may be thought to be singular, it must be remembered, that although he was a star of the first magnitude, yet he was on this side of that place and state where the spirits of just men are made perfect, and when the "wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament." He that wrote his life, saith, that might he but have received with some proportion to the Pomeramus | 1 Conjecture would ascribe these initials to Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, though in the Magnalia the Latin verses are signed "E. R."-H. Rev. John Norton.-H. |