USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Plymouth church records, 1620-1859 > Part 19
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Mr. Cotton's account was written about 1697 or 1698: see pp. 174, 181, below. Part ii is printed in the Mayflower Descendant, iv. 212-217, v. 214-217, viii. 214-217, xii. 26-28, xiii. 72-75, 152-158, xiv. 101-106, 188-192, xv. 21-23, 223- 227, xvi. 53-57.
" The upper corners of pp. [1-29] of the text are in places worn away, leaving the page-numbers in some cases obscure.
" The reference is to p. [59] of the text of Part i, or p. 113 of this volume.
Here something is crossed out. The reference is to pp. [1-29] of the text, or pp. 142-184 of this volume.
" Mr. Cotton almost invariably writes "chh" for "church," but the word is always here printed " chh."
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1663.
A further account matery in ( relating to the church it Plymouth" from the yeare 1667 untill 169> mellively .. H being derived i page 5y in the condition of the gelerinyhcall History of this church, by that Solly Brother, MY Nathaniel morton, that they Thethever pace would becareful to commit to writing what might acure in their day for the story of de good staffetimes, these following Pages shall buly efaithful, . upon certaine knowledge dedave what may henryacer in this che for the pace about which yeares los fans of may be Judged meet for Dification.
my morten in his foregoing Ninative hardly dedary that after the departure of that blessed many of 900 my Resner from them whom he had faithfully served for the pace of about eighteen yeares in the office of flewhere the It remaining undry years destitute of a Teaching looking up to god conytantly modimary e ochranmary pinyer to send in a ritable supply for their souls in which time sundry desixcentde ministery spent some time successive in merching the word of to them, but Divine providence favances scythetellement stany one of themy at pleased for see to Dinge peterioboycot, that the church gave a call to mrJ An
Li Engagement Cotton to come e preach to henry who by region of another people, could not at present accept of th of that cally het the chi continuing Destitute of settled minister, they Did in the years following in July, mener their former call tolom, to which He gave his consente accordingly removed himpelle efamily to Plymouth where they arrived in November 30. 1662: There were then resident ing the Place forty even itx-menos min. benidelivery that were removed te aders
HANDWRITING OF JOHN COTTON ENGRAVED FOR THE COLONIAL SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS
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143
JOHN COTTON CHOSEN PASTOR, 1666
the departure of that blessed Man of God M' Reyner from them whom he had faithfully served 1 for the space of about eighteen yeares in the office of a Teacher, & the chh remaining sundry yeares destitute of a Teaching Elder looking up to God constantly in or- dinary & extraordinary prayer to send in a sutable supply for their soules, in which time sundry desireable ministers spent some time successively in preaching the word of God to them, but divine providence favoured not the setlement of any one of them, It pleased God soe to dispose " in September 3 1666, that the church gave a call to M' John Cotton to come & preach to them, who by reason of his then engagement to another people, could not at present accept of that call, but the chh continuing destitute of setled min- istry, they did in the yeare following in July, renew their former call to him, to which He gave his consent & accordingly removed him- selfe & family to Plymouth, where they arrived on November, 30: 1667:
There were then resident in the Place forty seven chh-membe[rs] 1667: in full communion, besides divers that were removed to other places, who upon the setlement of the ministry were called upon by the Elders to take their dismissions respectively to the severall ches where their setled abode was, this chh declaring it to be the duty of christians to be under the watch of those ches where they live, this motion was readily complyed with by all concerned.
Now inasmuch as the death of saints is pretious in the eyes of God, & God hath said, the Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance an account shall be given of the deaths of such es- petially who were of good esteem in the chh of God:
The first breach God made in the chh within the time above said was the death of Gabriel Fallowell, aged above 80 yeares, a very pretious, lively christian, one who maintained much communion with God day & night, he dyed, December, 28: 1667.4
In 1668: two members were admitted into the chh: & all that was 1668: transacted in the chh in this yeare was their discourse & conclusion to 5 renew their call of M' Cotton & to declare to him their purpose
1 Here a word, perhaps "for," is crossed out.
" Here a word is crossed out.
' Here "September" is crossed out.
" The third figure in this date has been altered.
" Here a word is crossed out.
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144 PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
to establish him in office in the spring, the Lord disposing all our hearts to unite therein.
on the first of march dyed, John Dunham, the godly & well es- teemed Deacon of the chh, one of 80 yeares old.
In this April dyed blessed M' Reyner then Pastor of the chh at Dover 1
The chh appointed, April, 7: 1669: & kept it as a day of Fasting & Prayer, wherein to beg Gods prescence to be with them in directing to & in the choice of their Teaching officer.
Immediately after which the church voted to set apart a day to elect & ordaine M' Cotton to be their Pastor, & agreed that June, 30: should be the day, which was attended, He being dismissed from Boston old 2 church & Joyned to this3 chh some weekes before;
The ches present at this ordination (by the desire of this chh) by the[ir] Elders & messengers were Barnstable, Marshfeild, Wey- mouth & Duxbu[ry:] Elder Thomas Cushman gave the charge & the aged m" [2] John Howland was appointed by the chh to Joyne in imposition of hands; the Reverend m' Walley made a solemne Prayer before ordination & the Revd M' Torrey gave the right hand of fellowship in the Name of the ches, after.
The Ruling Elder with the Pastor made it their first spetiall worke together to passe through the whole towne from ' family to family to enquire into the state of soules & according as they found the frames either of the children of the chh or others, soe they ap- plyed counsells, admonitions, exhortations & incouragements, which service was attended with a blessing, for in divers with whom God had begun his work, it prevailed to stirre them up to lay hold of the covenant, & others were awakened more seriously to attend upon the meanes of grace & to minde the concernments of their soules, & practice family-prayer more constantly, the work of God seemed in those dayes to have a considerable reviving.
The chh having not then a Deacon, the Elders called upon them to choose some to that office; Accordingly, after a chh-meeting in Private some being Nominated, every brother speaking his minde
1 This sentence is written in the margin.
' Here a word is crossed out.
" Altered trom "the."
" Here "place" is crossed out.
1600
145
FINNEY AND MORTON MADE DEACONS, 1669
man by man, on August, 1: Robert Finney & Ephraim Morton were chosen Deacons in the publick Assembly on the Sabbath, & then ordained by the Elders.
In January, the chh agreed to begin monethly church-meetings for conference, which were constantly attended for many yeares, & much good attended that exercise; Also in November, began the Catechizing of the children by the Pastor, (the Elder also accom- panying him therein constantly) once a fortnight, the males at one time & the females at the other: the catechisme then used was M" Perkins.
The members admitted to full Communion in this yeare were twenty & seven; the practice was for men 1 orally to make con- fession of faith & a declaration of their experiences of a worke of grace in the prescence of the whole congregation, having bin examined & heard before by the Elders in private & then stood propounded in publick for 2 or 3 weekes ordinarily; & the relations of the woemen being written in private from their mouths, were read in publick by the Pastor & the Elders gave Testimony that their knowledge was competent, this was the ordinary way of Admission of members at their first entrance, but if any members came from other places & had letters of Dismission they were accepted by us upon that Testi- moniall & nothing further required of them.
The Lords supper was administred 4 times in this yeare, the first of which was on August, 29:
The children Baptised this yeare, 48:
It pleased God heavily to afflict this chh & people by the Death of Capt Thomas Southworth, of whom Honourable mention is made in the foregoing Narrative, & that most deservedly; He was a great Pillar in this chh, & in the dayes of blessed m' Reyner, after the death of Elder Brewster (whose Name is here very 2 pretious & ever will be soe) [8] when the chh had agitations about the choice of a Ruling Elder, this M. Southworth was Judged by many of the chh a very sutable man for that place, yet it was wisely foreseen by Govr Bradford that the necessity of the Commonwealth would doubtlesse call for the improvement of his Talent in the magistracy, & soe it prooved, for immediately upon the death of that Honourable Govr,
1 Here some words, perhaps "to make," are crossed out.
' Written above "soe," crossed out.
146 PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
he was chosen a magistrate & soe continued to his death, There were other Bretheren that did exercise their gifts for ædification of the chh in the vacancy of the ministry, yet such was the desireablenesse & excelling of his Gifts & graces that for divers yeares together he was expetially singled out by the chh to carry on the publick wor- ship, one part of the Sabbath, Elder Cushman ordinarily spending the forenoone & Mr Southworth 1 the afternoone; His Death was on December 8: (about 53 yeares old) after a moneths sicknesse; His death was much lamented & is to this day, he was loved & feared & of such a conversation as commanded both. The chh kept a day of prayer for his life, Dec. 1: but his time was come to dye.
1670
In 1670 fourteen members were admitted into the chh, 39 children were baptized, & the Lords supper was 8 times.
In the spring the chh set apart & observed a day of Thanksgiving for the setlement of Gods ordinances after soe long a vacancy, & the good successe of the Gospel amongst the[m.]
A child of this chh who had bin here baptized, removing to .Swanzey was rebaptized by the Pastor there, which the chh being informed of, did unanimously declare it to be matter of offence, & sent letters to those concerned in that action to signify that such a practice would be a barre to our Eclesiasticall communion & desired they would doe soe noe more.
Some persons, a brother & 2 sisters that had formerly walked with this chh being now removed & not owning their chh-relation, the chh agreed & it was openly declared by the Elder in the name of the chh, that wee esteemed them noe longer to be members of us.
In this yeare, 70: m" Richard Bourne of Sandwich sent to the chh for messengers to take notice of the fitnesse of sundry Indians to gather into a chh at Mashpau, the Pastor, Elder & Secretary Morton were sent thither, Elders & messengers of many other ches were there also, the Indians after confessions etc were gathered into a chh, Mª Bourne chosen & ordained their Pastor, all the ches present approoveing thereoff. old mr Eliot & our Pastor laid on hands."
1671
In 1671 seventeen members were admitted, 25 children baptized, the Lords supper was 10 times.
Some viz. a brother & sister having sold liquors to the Indians
1 Here "in" is crossed out.
" This paragraph is written in the margin.
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147
CHARACTER AND DEATH OF THOMAS PRINCE, 1673
were Admonished, & also a child of the chh for morall scandall, this chh ever practising discipline to the chh-seed when adult.
In 1672, six members were admitted, 13 children Baptized, the 1672 Lords supper was 8 times.
on February, 24: dyed M' John Howland in his eightieth yeare, he was a good old disciple, & had bin sometime a magistrate here, a plaine-hearted christian
In 1673; was a very awfull frowne of God upon this chh & colony 1678 in the death of m' Thomas Prince the Governour in the 73d yeare of his Age: when this colony was in a hazardous condition upon the death of Govr Bradford, the lott was cast upon m' Princ[e] [4] to be his successour, God made him a repairer of breaches & a meanes to setle those shakings that were then threatning, he was excellently qualifyed for the office of a Governour, he had a countenance full of majesty & therein as well as otherwise was a Terrour to evill doers, he was very amiable & pleasant in his whole conversation & highly esteemed of the saints & acknowledged by all; In the time of his sicknesse the chh sought God by Fasting & Prayer, but God would not be intreated any longer to spare him, but he dyed on March, 29: & was honourably interred, April, 8:
Six more chh-members dyed in this yeare.1
The Lords supper in this yeare was seven times, but one member admitted, 14 children baptized.
In 1674: the Lords supper was 11 times, one member admitted, 1674 17 children baptized:
Discipline viz Admonition was administred to a chh-child for sin & two 2 in full communion upon confession of what was offensive were forgiven without any censure ..
In March, 1675: the church of Eastham sent to our chh for mes- 1675 sengers to be with them at their ordination of M' Samuel Treat to be their Pastor, the chh sent the Pastor, Elder & Deacon Finney, who attended that service, March, 17:
Lords supper was six times; 8 children were baptized.
Warr with the Indians breaking forth, the chh set apart July, 21: to be kept as a day of Humiliation, Another on January, 5: Another, February, 2: because of war & sicknesse.
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1 These words are written in the margin.
' Written above "one," crossed out.
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
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1676
In 1676: the Lords supper was six times, five members were ad- mitted, 24 children were baptized.
, The war continuing & also sickness, the chh set apart April, 19: for fasting & prayer, & also May, 30: for the same grounds.
The Generall Court in June, being sensible of the heavy hand of God upon the country in the continuance of war with the heathen appointed a day of Humiliation to be kept, 22 day of it & added thereto a solemne motion to all our ches to renew a covenant engage- ment to God for Reformation of all provoking evills. The chh at- tended that day of Prayer & then the Elders appointed a chh-meeting to be on June, 29: The church then all met; our chh meetings were ever begun & ended1 with prayer, (the Pastor ordinarily beginning & the Elder concluding therewith) After Prayer for Gods direction & blessing in soe solemne a matter, A church-covenant was read, & the chh voted that it should be left upon record as that which they did owne to be the substance of that Covenant which their Fathers entered into at the first gathering of the church, which was in these words following, [6]
In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ & in obedience to his holy will & divine ordinances.
Wee being by the most wise & good providence of God brought to- gether in this place & desirous to unite our selves into one congregation or church under the Lord Jesus Christ our Head, that it may be in such sort as becometh all those whom He hath redeemed & sanctifyed to himselfe, wee doe hereby solemnly & religiously (as in his most holy prescence) avouch the Lord Jehovah the only true God to be our God & the God of ours & doe promise & binde ourselves to walke in all our wayes according to the Rule of the Gospel & in all sincere conformity to His holy ordinances & in mutuall love to & watchfullnesse over one another, depending wholy & only upon the Lord our God to enable us by his grace hereunto.
Then serious Enquiry was made, in what particulars there might be found amongst us a violation of this holy covenant & any 2 un- answerable walking thereunto?
Then followed a Proposall, whether wee were all willing to renew our Covenant for Reformation?
1 Altered from "attended."
' Here a word is crossed out.
149
CONFESSION, REPENTANCE, AND REFORMATION, 1676
The Aged, godly Elder spake his minde particularly to these things, & then the Pastor (whom the Elder had before desired to draw up an Instrument sutable to the purpose) read a paper 1 in which were mentioned, wherein our violations of covenant had bin & our En- gagement for Reformation was contained, which the whole chh did well approove of, & concluded as soone as wee could conveniently to appoint a day of Humiliation wherein to attend Renewall of Cove- nant; Further, appointing July, 10: for all the children of the chh to come together before the Elders on that account, which they very readily & universally did at the time appointed; The Elders then asked them, 1: whether they did owne their interest in the covenant of their fathers? to which, they all freely answered in the Affirmative. 2: Whether they would indeavour to stirre up themselves in the use of all due meanes for obtaining the good & blessings of that covenant? then the Pastor read a Paper, containing many evils the guilt of which might be found amongst them & also their desires & promise of Reformation to be visibly manifested, they all manifested a compliance therewith, & the compleating of the matter was reserved till the day of Humiliation. The chh set apart July, 18: for this service; the morning was spent in prayer & preaching by the Pastor, whose Text was in Psal: 56: 12: 13: in the Afternoone the Elder began with Prayer & was large in it, then wee proceeded to a renewall of Covenant, first the Paper was read that concerned the members in full communion, in these words following. [6]
Whereas the Holy & Righteous God hath many wayes in yeares lately past changed the course of his favourable dispensations towards us & manifested sad signes of his displeasure against us, wee desire to be deeply humbled in his sight under his mighty hand & to reflect upon our owne hearts & ways with serious Consideration, whereby wee see abun- dant cause to judge our selves as being guilty of many evills for which the Lord may Justly be provoked to avenge the quarrell of his Cove- nant upon us. In particular, Wee doe acknowledge wee have greatly lost our first love to & pretious esteem ' of the Gospel & ordinances of the Lord Jesus, which hath too evidently appeared, partly in our remisnesse in coming to ordinances, partly in our listlesse & sluggish attendance upon them, as also by our barrenesse & unfruitfullnesse under meanes of grace, neither have wee maintained & kept up the life & power of
1 Here a word, doubtless "where," is crossed out.
" Altered from "esteam."
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150 PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
Godlynesse as wee ought to have done, wee have also polluted the Holy Sabbaths of the Lord our God, as other wayes, soe very much by im- pertinent communication thereupon, yea the loosnesse of our conversa- tions soe unbecoming the Gospel of Christ is a Testimony against us that wee have backslidden from the Lord, wee have sadly mispent our pretious time & omitted our Duty to God & to our relations by frequent- ing such places & companyes not, becoming christians to delight in, wee have too much allowed our selves in unbrotherly chidings & contendings one with another & have let the sun goe downe too often upon our wrath, wee have bin too unfaithfull in our words & promises & ingagements one unto another, having not considered one another to provoke to love & good workes, nor watched over the soules one of another, in faithfull reproofes for sin as ought to have bin & in the use of all other meanes for our mutuall ædification in faith & holinesse; Wee have also too much set our hearts upon the world & creature comforts & vanities & have too much conformed to the world; wee have also bin too remisse in family- instruction & government, not minding the good of the soules of those committed to our charge as wee ought to have done; And although God hath greatly afflicted us for our many swervings from him, yet wee have not bin soe affected with his heavy hand as to reforme those evills for which he hath bin contending with us.
For these & other evills that might be mentioned, wee desire to lye in the dust before God & to abhorre our selves & unfeignedly to repent in his sight & humbly to acknowledge that God is Just & righteous in all the evills wee have bin visited with, yea that He hath punished us far lesse then our iniquities doe deserve; And wee doe in the presence of God & of his Holy Angels professe our sincere desires that these & all other evills in our hearts & lives may be reformed, And doe therefore renew an holy covenant with the Lord our God & one with another this day, hereby solemnly engaging our selves in the strength of divine grace (without which [7] wee can doe nothing) to put forth our utmost en- deavors for a thorough Reformation of evill both in our selves & others in our severall capacities according to the relations that are upon us to- wards God & one unto another, & also to walke together before God in a professed subiection to all his holy ordinances according to the Rule of the Gospel & in Brotherly love & holy watchfullnesse to the mutuall succour & building up of one another in the faith & fellowship of the Lord Jesus.
This being read, the church was called upon to manifest their consent thereunto by standing up, which all both Elders & Bretheren & sisters did.
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RENEWAL OF CHURCH COVENANT, 1676
The Pastor then immediately spake to all the children of this chh (& also of any other ches that were living among us) & read a Paper unto them, which here followeth.
Seeing the Providence of God is soe afflicting at this day, & the weight of Gods anger falls most heavily upon those of our generation, many young persons falling by the rage of the enemy & by the immediate hand of God in sicknesse, Wee have therefore great cause to Judge our selves as being guilty of many evills whereby wee have provoked the Lord God of our Fathers to write bitter things against us & make us possesse the iniquities of our youth, & doe owne that wee by our sins have had a deep hand in procuring these calamities & bringing downe the Judgments of God upon the land: In particular Wee have violated the holy covenant that God gratiously made with us in our parents, & was sealed to us in Baptisme, in that wee have not hearkned to the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ calling upon us according to the termes of the Gospel to embrace him as our only Lord & saviour, but have stood at a distance from the son of God & refused to give him our hearts & affections which He alone is most worthy of, thereby greiving & vexing his Holy spirit & provoking him to turne our enemy & fight against us; Wee have also bin guilty of many transgressions of the holy & righteous law of God, wee have not acknowledged the Lord God of our Fathers by walking in those good wayes wherein our fathers walked, wee are, though descended of a noble vine, yet become the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto God; wee have bin a proud generation, though wee are the sons & daughters of Zion, yet wee have bin haughty in spirit, in countenance, in garbe & fashion & have too much delighted to follow the vaine & sinfull customes of an evill world; wee have bin stubborne & rebellious against God & disobedient to our parents & too soone weary of the yoke of family- government which God hath set us under & ready to cast it off; wee have too much omitted & neglected to attend upon God in publick or- dinances & have bin very dull & sloathfull & irreverent in the time of his worship & have profaned his holy Sabbaths by vaine & sinfull com- munication & many other wayes: [8] wee have bin unfaithfull to God & those he hath set over us, mispending much of our pretious time in idle- ness & sensuality;
And sundry of us whom God hath made heads of families, wee have not had that care & conscience to sanctify the Name of God in the duties of family-worship as wee ought to have done, neither have wee bin diligent in instructing & training up our children in the knowledge & feare of God, nor set before them such examples of holinesse, sobriety & temperance as wee should have done, but have suffered the interest of
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
religion which our fathers came into this wildernesse for, greatly to decline in our hands. For these & many other evills that might be mentioned, wee desire to judge our selves before the Lord that wee may not be Judged of him, & to acknowledge that He is righteous in all the evills He hath brought upon us, & that it would be Just with God for our walking unworthy of his grace to discovenant us & cast us off from being his people; yet wee doe desire this day that all the evils of our hearts & wayes may be reformed, & doe solemnly in the presence of God & of his holy Angels, owne our interest in the covenant of the Lord God of our Fathers, & doe acknowledge that wee are bound & ingaged to serve him & him alone, & doe therefore desire humbly to looke up unto him & to implore his spetiall grace & the Asistance of his Holy Spirit to enable us to endeavour a thorough reformation of all our personall & family- evills, & to cause us to walke stedfastly in that good old way wherein alone wee may finde rest unto our soules.
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