USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of the Old South church (Third church) Boston, 1669-1884, Vol. I > Part 21
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Your poor afflicted yet affectionate Brethren in the Lord, the third gatherd Church in Boston, with our consent and by our appointment under the hands of our Elders.
THO: THATCHER EDW : RAINSFORD
BisTON, 28 : 2 1670
To the Reverend and dearely beloved Mr. James Allen Teacher and Mr. James Pen Ruling Elder of the first gatherd Church in Bos- ton these for the Church humbly present.
Now that Mr. Davenport was dead, and a minister - Mr. Oxenbridge 1 - had been installed as his successor who had not been involved in any way in the controversy, it might have been expected that terms of reconciliation between the two churches would speedily be agreed upon ; but Mr. Allen and Mr. Penn were thoroughly committed to Mr. Davenport's cause, and Gov- ernor Bellingham and his friends were hard to conciliate. It was true that the new church was an accomplished fact, and that the seceding brethren were lost forever to the parent church ; but the personality and bitterness of the controversy had been intensified by the political complications which had arisen, and as the anti-synodists were for the moment carrying all before them in the General Court, the members of the First
1 In 1669 Mr. Oxenbridge preached for the First Church in Charlestown, and was invited to become one of its minis- ters. It will be remembered that he offered prayer at the close of the ser-
vices at the formation of the Third Church, which took place in Charlestown, May 12, 1669, asking God that the infant church might live to condemn its con- demners.
174
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
Church would consent to no basis of adjustment that did not involve confession and humiliation on the part of their former brethren. It appears from the records -not from the Narra- tive - that on the Ist of August Mr. Thacher, by authority, submitted the following "Essay for Accommodation :" -
We the Elder and brethren of the third church of Boston, being sensible of the dishonour of the holy name of God, and greif on the hearts of God's people, occasioned by the late divisions, and desiring that the God of love and peace may dwell among us : Do declare - that to us the known congregationall way contained for substance in the platforme of discipline is the very order of the gospell. And pro- fessing our readines, upon conviction, to acknowledge any thing wherein we have through infirmity swerved from this rule in this houre of temptation, tho' now we see it not, And, earnestly desiring the Lord to pardon what he hath seen amiss on either hand, in any part of this transaction, do freely tender fully to passe by whatsoever hath been anyways greivouse or offensive unto us. And further intreating our brethren of the first gathred church to dismisse unto us those who being of our mind have still held communion with us if they still desire it, do hereby testify our resolution what in us lys to walk on in brotherly love and communion with the said first church of Boston as becometh the churches of Christ so neerly related.
This is a true Copy of the Essay for accommodation between the first and third gathred church in Boston, delivered in in writing to Mr. Oxenbridge to be considered of, on the 1. 6. 1670, in the presence of Elder Edward Ransford by Mr
THOMAS THACHER.1
This overture was not satisfactory. In the church records we find, in the handwriting of Mr. Thacher, a copy of a paper which had been sent by the First Church for the consideration and adoption of the seceding brethren, and to which the com- munication of August I was a reply : 2-
We the Elders and brethren of the 3d Church of Christ in Boston, being sensible of the dishonour of God and the sad consequensys of
1 [A few years later, the Rev. Peter Thacher, of Milton, son of the Rev. Thomas Thacher, married Theodora, daughter of the Rev. John Oxenbridge. Their son, Oxenbridge Thacher, was a member of the Old South Church. His name furnishes a happy illustration of the completeness of the reconciliation which at length was brought to pass be- tween the two long-alienated churches.]
2 These papers appear in the records of the Third Church, in the order in which they are printed in the text, al- though the proposition drafted by the First Church bears the earlier date. It was on this, probably, that the Essay for Accommodation, submitted by Mr. Thacher, was based, and it was entered on the Third Church records as explanatory of the negotiation.
W. the Erding &h brettiken of the third Church of Boston being Sensibli of the diffionour of the holy name of God Is greif on the hearts of Gods pple or. casioned by the Pati divisions of de fixing that ffic God of fort & peace may doll among us: Dodi. Hors- that tous the known congregational way contained for substance in the platforme of Dicipline is the very order of Regospell, dud pro. fessing our readings upon conviction to arknordlige anything wherein que face there infirmity surex: vid from this rule ni this house of temptation Khô. now we see if not, dud carmostly visiting the ford to pardon what he hath seen a mil on either hand in any part of this transaction, do freely tender fully to page by what ever Ruth Gin dny ways grenouje or ofensive untous ohio further mitreating our brethren of the fit galired church to dimifi unto us those who Ging of of mind frame still hold com union with us if theyshy defire it do hereby testify of resolution whatmi us bys to walk on in Brotherly love & comuni- on why saidfirst Gratisto church of Boston a Greomich y churches of Christ to weekly rtland. This is a ku Copy of the Essay for attomu. ration whaten the first & this gathered Churchni Boston Irlivorioni i vozi. fing to ME Oxenbridge to be considered of , on the 1. 6. 1670 mi pyEnco of Elook Edward A any fordby mi Thomay Thachix.
ESSAY FOR ACCOMMODATION.
175
"ESSAY FOR ACCOMMODATION"
the late divisions, and desiring that the God of peace and love may dwell amongst us to this end we do own freely
I That every particular church of Christ endowed with a teaching officer or officers, hath received immediately from Christ, all Eccle- siasticall power of jurisdiction within itself.
2 That this power is ministeriall and to be exercized only according to the rules of Christ and for ædification.
3 We own ourselves men of infirmitys and therefore wherein through weaknes in the hour of temptation we have swerved from any of the rules above said, we desire and tender mutuall forgivenesse betwixt our brethren and ourselves
4 We desire, and hereupon purpose, by the grace of Christ hence- forth to walk in brotherly love and communion with our brethren as becometh the churches of Christ.
Received from Major Lusher 24 4 70 to be considered of by myself and our Ekler, in order to an accommodation between the churches : which not being accepted by the elders 1-
This proposition explains, in part at least, the arbitrary atti- tude taken by the First Church in dealing with the brethren who disapproved of the call given to Mr. Davenport, which had become the controlling issue in the controversy. The majority in that church claimed for it, as an independent and duly organ- ized ecclesiastical body, supreme and final jurisdiction over its members. It was distinctly stated at one of its meetings that there was no relief for an aggrieved brother, or for aggrieved brethren, in a church, unless the church would relieve them, until the day of judgment, and that, in the interim, the church itself was the sole and alone judge." Governor Bellingham, in his will, made two years later, provided, among other objects, for the establishment of a lectureship on "church discipline according to the will of God," and enjoined upon his trustees
1 [Among the papers of the Mass. Hist. Society we find a fragment in the handwriting of Mr. Thacher, as follows : " Expressions for the first church.
"3 That we are men of infirmity and therefore wherein in the sight of God we have swerved from that rule by any undue administration to or in our trans- actions with our brethren of the third Church we desire pardon of the Lord and forgiveness of our brethren and desire for the future to pass by all offences in them, and to hold commu- nion with them as we do with other
churches of Christ being much easd in our spirits and fears by the profession of the Congregationall principalls placing Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction in the Congre- gation only not in any man or men with- out it, which we hope they will conscien- tiously practise, and that they will be watchfull about receiving their members as we desire to be that our communion may be pure and we shall be willing to answer them in the desire concerning such of ours as have been under offence to us for partaking with them."]
2 See ante, pp. 53, 56, 57.
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HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
to select for the purpose, from time to time, some godly min- ister, whom they should judge to be faithful to the principles owned and practised by the First Church in Boston. Of these principles, said he, a main one is that all ecclesiastical juris- diction is committed by Christ to each particular " organicall" church, from which there is no appeal, "visible saintship being the matter and express covenanting the form of the church." This principle, as understood and enforced by him, gave to each particular church that degree of authority over the individual member and over his conscience which the Church of Eng- land, as a national establishment, exercised over each particu- lar congregation as well as over each individual ; and its effect was to leave a minority, and especially an individual, altogether and hopelessly at the mercy of the majority. To such a theory the founders of the Third Church would not for a moment con- sent. We have already considered their position as a protest against undue interference, on the part of the government of the colony, with their rights as Christian men ; we come now to see its bearings upon the relations of church institutions to those rights. The tyranny of ecclesiasticism is no less dangerous than that of the state, and it is much more insidious in its encroachments. The domination of the lord bishops had been thrown off ; and the time was come, to borrow the language of William Blackstone, when a stand was to be taken against the arbitrary power of the "lord brethren." The minority in the First Church had not sought to interfere with the preferences and prerogatives of the majority ; they had insisted only upon their own right peaceably to withdraw from the membership, - to dissent and to separate from a local church, as the men on both sides of this controversy, or their fathers, only a few years before, had dissented and separated from a national church be- yond the sea. The formation of the earlier churches in Massa- chusetts was an assertion of the rights of conscience for each congregation of believers ; the formation of the Third Church in Boston was an assertion of the same rights for the individ- ual believer, to be exercised always in the full recognition of the coequal rights of every other believer, and of the majority in the membership.
This statement of the case makes less unaccountable the per- sistent severity of the First Church in its dealings with the dissenting brethren. It explains, also, why these brethren did not at once take their wives with them into the fellowship of
-
177
AN EARNEST APPEAL FOR PEACE.
the new church. They wished to bear the brunt of the conflict themselves, and they thought, no doubt, that their church once fully organized, and the ordinances of the gospel established among them, no prolonged opposition would be made to the members of their families in following them.
That the views of Governor Bellingham and his associates did not prevail generally among the churches of the colony we may infer from the action of the councils which favored and assisted at the formation of the Third Church, and from the opinion of the elders who, at a later day, passed upon the case of the excellent women who for four or five years had no com- plete and regular standing either in the old church or the new.
We return again to the Narrative.
This ensuing letter allso was sent
To the first gathered Church in Boston, grace mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Honoured Reverend and Beloved in our deare Lord Jesus
Laying to heart in our measure the sad consequences of our late divisions as occasioning great thoughts of heart to Gods prudent faithfull servants, discomfort to ourselves, advantage to evill, disadvan- tage to the common good and soe dishonour to Gods holy name which is called upon his people, by their being and continuance in their alienations, and desiring that the God of love and peace may dwell among us and manifest his gracious presence with us, by removing these uncomfortable alienations and restoring that love and peace which is soe needful for us.
Wee after our humble supplications to God make this affectionate addresse unto yourselves, that we may what in us lyes indeavor after these things which may most conduce unto our mutuall peace, strength and comfort in asserting and practising the same truth of the gospell concerning matters of faith and order, as it is professed by these Churches we intreat you therfore to judge no otherwise of us, but that we are set (we speak it awfully) for the same truth of the gospell : we have solemnely professed and doe professe that our Lord Jesus Christ hath given a perfect patterne of his house in the New testa- ment, of all the commings in thereof and of all the goings out thereof, of all the formes thereof, and of all the ordinances thereof, and of all the lawes thereof, to which nothing is to be added, from it nothing may be taken away on any pretence whatsoever, and that everie organicall Church hath all ecclesiasticall jurisdiction within itself, by Christs appointment for the regular administration of all these ordinances and execution of all these lawes, as allso that this power is Ministeriall, and to be exercised according to the rules of Christ
ITS
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
explained for substance in the platforme of discipline, considering allso that we are men of infirmity who have cause humbly to confesse with holy James that in many things we offend all, and with holy David to cry Lord cleanse us from our secret sins, we doe therfore where- insoever in this houre of temptation, we have through weakenes in the sight of God swarved from any of his holy rules, in this transac- tion between us and you desire pardon of the Lord and allso forgive- nes of you our Brethren in whatsoever hath bin greivous to you, and earnestly desire that there may be Brotherly love and mutuall communion between us and you for the future, as there is between you and other Churches of Christ who have given unto us the right hand of fellowship, and we further intreat that those of you who for holding Communion with us are forbidden Communion with yourselves, may have their favorable and loving dismission unto ourselves, accord- ing to their desire thereof, which if you grant unto us, we trust in the Lord it shall never be greif of heart unto you afterward, but matter of rejoycing and great consolation to all that feare God, not onely in this Church but in all the Churches of the Saints, who shall therby per- ceive that God is present with his Churches to heale their wounds, and bind up their breaches, and others that are enimies will be much cast downe in their owne eyes, perceiving that this worke was wrought of God, now God even our God blesse us, you and all his poore Churches with his owne presence, that the trumpetters and singers being as one, to make one sound to be heard in thanksgiving and praysing the Lord, saying for he is good for his mercy indureth for ever, his owne house may be filled with the cloud, and manifest gracious testimonies of his owne glory, to the furtherance of the everlasting joy and consolation of his people, we shall add no more but that you are in our hearts to die and to live with you in that Capacity wherein the Lord hath set us, therfore praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and the peace of God to be within our walls, we comend ourselves to the Candour of your Brotherly love, you and ourselves to the grace of our heavenly ffather in Christ Jesus, in whome we heartily subscribe ourselves.
Your Brethren and servants in the gospell.
THO: THATCHER EDW : RAINSFORD
28 : (10.) 1670
In the name and by the appointment of the rest of our Brethren.
This letter sent was superscribed To all the ruling Elders for to be communicated to the Church the Church being to meet upon some other occasion the next day, but the Elders were not pleased to read it unto the Church, but onely told them they had a letter from the Brethren that went out from them, but had no time then to read it. neither did they read it the Lords day following, yet comunicated it to sundry
179
RESPONSE OF THE FIRST CHURCH.
Brethren in private, but in the conclusion they sent this following letter but did not send it to the new Church but to three messengers which carryed the new Churches letter to the Elders of the old Church and unto them they superscribed and delivered the letter which en- sueth.
Beloved Brethren
wee desire in our measure to lay to heart not onely the sad Conse- quences of your late division from us, but much more the sinfull causes of it, which have provoked the Lord to leave any of his to doe that which is such a dishonour to his name, and grief to his pruden[t] and faithfull servants, and soe disadvantageous to the Common good and adva[n]tageous to evill doers, that the God of love and peace may dwell amon[g] us and by his gracious presence remove any uncom- fortable alienations in you is our daily supplication at the throne of grace. but it is not unknowne to you, that the fruit of such a presence is to make mercy and truth to meet, and righteousness and peace to salute each other, and therfore where the one is sincerely desired, the other wil[!] be studiously indeavourd, that we may manifest our true Love to both we onely remind you and that with all tendernes what we have formerly written in our last to you, to Convince of your irregular departure from us, the rules which you have broken are there men- tioned and we Judge ought to have bin better Considered by you, and due satisfaction tendered that soe our pursute of peace might further our holiness, and make way for our mutuall enjoyment of God in and with one another, we for your further conviction referr you to the scriptures quoted in the margent, which you may see ex- plained in the platforme of discipline, Ch : 3 : Sect : 1 : 2 : Heb : 10:25. Prov: 11 : 14- Rom : 14: 23. 3. 4. 5. the truth whereof is acknowledged by you, were it soe that your hearts did returne, to those truthes which [1] Tym : 5 :22. Ephes : 5: 11. Acts. 9 : 25. 30. []: 8 : 1: [Nchem ] : 13. 10. 2 Tym : 4: 10. Rom : 16: 17 Jude. 10. Eph : 4 : 2: 3. Coll : 3. 13. Gall : 6 : 1 : 2. you have formerly practised with us, and now in yours professe, from which you have departed in this houre of temptation, we hope through the grace of Christ you shall find us not onely as before such as are taught of God to love you, but to doe it more and more, and to rejoice in Communion with you, how far (your confessing your secret sins or those committed in the sight of God which we are not ac- quainted with nor capable of forgiving) is from any such hearty returne unto the Lord and to your Brethren, that have solemnly warned you from him ought sadly to be considered, we cannot without wrong to the truth we are set for the defence of nor to ourselves, nor you, nay we feare the Lord will be further provoked against us, should we admit accomodation without him, contrary to what we have sol- emnely witnessed unto which without any ground for alteration in our mindes concerning it, nor are we concerned for ourselves alone but
ISO
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
have cause to feare if this wound be slitely healed, that hath been made by your irregular departure from us, that it will prove destruc- tive to all the Churches of Christ among us, therfore we desire to heare no more of this matter untill the Lord shall let you see your deviation from these rules and acknowledge and repaire them we then hope we shall be as ready to receive you, as you shall be to de- sire it, in the meane time we shall earnestly pray to the ffather of lights to open your eyes that you may rightly understand the way of peace, and to bow our hearts more and more to carry it soe to you, as we may have further reconciliation and such a love that the Lord will blesse and owne we are
Your Loving Brethren in the Lord dated 16 (11) 1670 JOHN OXENBRIDGE Pa[stor] JAMES ALLEN JAMES PEN JOHN WISWELL Jun
In the name and with the consent of all the Brethren :
Superscribed to Captaine Tho : Savage. Lieutenant Josh : Scottow and Mr. Tho : Brattle to be communicated to the rest of the Brethren who departed from us.
The new church, notwithstanding these drawbacks to its hap- piness, prospered under the faithful ministry of Mr. Thacher, who was greatly and deservedly esteemed, and was among the most popular preachers in the colony. His sermons are said to have been elaborate in preparation and affectionate in spirit.1 He preached twice on the Sabbath, and maintained lectures on other days of the week. He was diligent in instructing the children and youth of his charge, and he prepared and printed a catechism for their use. But we are told the " excellency that
1 Soon after Mr. Thacher's installation he preached a course of sermons on the Canticles. As we write, we have before us the notes of one of these sermons, in his own neat handwriting, upon small sheets of paper, brown with age, which have been in the possession of seven Peter Thachers in the direct line of de- scent, and which have been given to the church for whose instruction they were originally prepared, by Mr. Peter Thacher, of Sanford, Florida. This ser- mon was preached April 24, 1670, from Cant. iv. 5: "Thy two breasts are as two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies." We quote a few of the quaint opening sentences:
"These breasts are by some thought the old and new testament ; by others, mild- ness, simplicity, purity of heart and life; by others, doctrine in the church for ex- hortation, etc .; by others, for the min- istry sent forth of Christ by two and two, and appointed pastors and teachers. All these may well stand together in their respective applications to several subjects, and so may it also respecting particular persons be taken for their profession and practise, both sweetly an- swering the rule." The doctrine of the sermon is: "Ministers in union feeding the flock and themselves according to rule, are unto the church an excellent ornament in the sight of Christ."
181
LETTER FROM THE PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
shined above the other glories of his ministry " was that "he was a person much in prayer ; and as he was much in prayer, so he had an eminency above most men living, for his copious, his fluent, his fervent manner of performing that sacred exercise." During the first year of his pastorate there were between forty and fifty accessions to the membership, many of them by letters from other churches.
One of the first churches to extend its hand in Christian fellowship to the Third Church, after the installation of Mr. Thacher, by dismissing and recommending members to its com- munion, was the church of the Mayflower Pilgrims, the church originally of Scrooby and of Leyden.1 John Winslow 2 and his wife - Mary Chilton of the Mayflower - moved to Boston in 1671, and purchased property in Spring Lane, near Mrs. Norton's house. They brought the following letter from the Plymouth Church, commending them and their baptized chil- dren to the watch and care of the Third Church : -
To the third gathered church of christ in Boston Grace mercy and peace from God our father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. be multiplyed.
Reverend and Dearely Beloved in the Lord
Whereas by the Providence of the only wise God, in whose hand are all our times and wayes, our beloved brother and sister, viz Mr. John Winslow and Mary his wife have their settled habitation amongst you, and wee seeing no hopes of their returne unto us, they having also manifested unto us their desires to joyne themselves unto you, in order to the regular participation of all the ordinances of Christ in his church, wee doe therefore by these our letters dismisse them to your holy fellowship, beseeching you to receive them in the Lord as it be- cometh saints into the bond of your holy Covenant, and in all chris- tian love and faithfullnesse to watch over them, and administer to them those blessed ordinances of Christ, for their further ædification in faith and holinesse ; our prayers to God for them are that they may be fruitfull and profitable amongst you by their exemplary walking according to the rules of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the furtherance of your and their Consolation in Christ Jesus, to whose
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