USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The history of the First Baptist church of Boston (1665-1899) > Part 11
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The Church was then under manifold Temptations and Distractions, by reason of the opposition they met with ; but not long since, about some 2 or 3 years past, there being a great Clamour revived, and renewed upon us, for receiving of Persons excom- municated for moral Evils, and that in the issue it centered on this man, we were much dissatisfied, and determined to make diligent search to know the truth of it, that we might clear ourselves.
The which accordingly we did, and sent Messengers to the Officer of the Church by whom he was cast out, and procured under his hand from the Church Records, a copy of their proceedings with him, and
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the ground thereof, which having obtained, and dili- gently perused, did find that his Carriage and Be- haviour towards the Church in the time of their dealing with him, were justly offensive, unchristian like, and much unbecoming the Gospel, which was the chief matter of fact we could find in all their charges. Whereupon we then laboured to convince him of the evil of them, and kept him off from Com- munion, until he should give satisfaction, wherein he liad miscarried ; who did in a short time fall under his offences, and gave us good satisfaction, and ten- dered the same to the Church, by whom he was ex- communicated ; by which they were well satisfied, excepting one, who would not be satisfied unless he would come and joyn with them again, but that he could not yield to. This hath bin affirmed by some of their Members to some of us.
Now from what we have said in this matter, this is to be observed, That though there was an oversight in the receiving of this Man ; and that the Church was not so careful to inquire how things were, or were hard to give credit to what they might have reported of his Miscarriage to the Church, as things were then circumstanced ; it being designed by our opposites to cast all the reproach on us that they could any manner of way, to make us vile in the Eyes of the People, hoping thereby to prevent (at least) our increasing. Yet we have now cleared our- selves from being of such principles, as to receive any Scandalous person or persons, justly excommunicated for moral Evils, by what we have done, and the pains we have taken in this matter, as hath bin declared ; and therefore how unjust a thing it is still to lay such things to our Charge, to scandalize our Name, as hatlı been done of late in their Printed Book, viz. "The Conclusions of the late Synod," and also in a Book newly printed, entitled, "The divine Right of Infant Baptism," we leave to consideration.
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CHARGE 3.
Another thing laid to our Charge is, That we are disorderly persons, and walk disorderly.
Ans. This is also a inistake : for our practice, and walking, is according to, and agreeable with the Orders of the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore orderly : for we walk in Church-fellowship together; and con- tinue in the Apostles Doctrine, Fellowship, Breaking Bread, and Prayer, Acts. 2. and that on the first day of the week, by Persons elected, and ordained to Office, for the Administration of the holy Ordinances of Christ.
CHARGE 4.
Another thing we are Charged with is, That we are Disturbers of the Publick Peace.
Ans. We have never yet been found making any disturbance, by raising any tumults, or causing any Sedition, either in Church or Commonwealth ; nor are those that accuse 11s, able to prove the things whereof they do accuse us. Indeed after the way that is called Heresie, so worship we the God of our Fathers, believing.all things which are written in the Law, and the Prophets ; and have hope towards God of the Resurrection of the Dead, both of the just and unjust, and herein do exercise our selves always, to have a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards Man. Act. 24. 13, 14, 15, 16. We peaceably follow our lawful Imployments, disturbing no Man, being desirous to have peace with all inen.
CHARGE 5.
We are charged to be underminers of the Churches.
This is also a great inistake : we never designed, neither do to this day design any such thing, but heartily desire and daily pray for the well being, flourishing, and Prosperity of all the Churches of
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Christ, that the Lord would more and more appear among them, to revive the life and power of Godli- ness in them, to make known inore of his Mind and Will unto them, to reformi whatever is amiss among them ; to continue his gracious Presence round about them; And desire that ourselves may have a peace- able living by them, as Christians.
Whereas it is said, that our Principles and Prac- tices are destructive to their Churches. We answer ; That the utmost Tendency our Principles, and Prac- tices can have with respect to their Churches, is but to reduce them to a nearer conforinity to the will of Christ, but not to destroy them ; and there is a great difference between Reduction and Destruction.
CHARGE 6.
Another thing we are charged with, is, neglecting the Publick Worship of God on the Lord's Day.
Ans. This is utterly untrue; Though this hath bin the crime that we have usually from time to time presented to Court, and have by Courts been punished for. But it is well known that we do constantly meet on the first Day of the Week, to worship the Lord, and attend on him in all his holy Ordinances, and therefore why we should be so charged, and dealt withal, there is no reason. If it be said that we do absent from the Publick Assemblies, and meet by our- selves in private houses, and therefore it is not Pub- lick Worship.
We answer, That we do meet togetlier by ourselves, and ought so to do, being an intire Church, and body by ourselves, and therefore cannot ineet in their Assemblies. And there was a necessity of congregat- ing together by our selves ; Because they would not admit of us to Communion with them in all the Ordinances of God, but shut us out, and would allow us no more priviledge among them than they would allow to a Heathen, or Publican, viz. to come and
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hear in their Assemblies. For some who liave desired to joyn with them, after they were Baptized, have bin denyed, and that for no other reason than this, that they had submitted to Baptism according to the Command of Christ, and could see no light for Infant Baptism.
And secondly, for our meeting in Private Houses : It is true we have done so, for we must meet in such Houses as we have to meet in. But our Meeting was Publick, any one, that would, might come, and since we have for our convenience, and to take off the asper- sions cast on us for meeting in Private Houses, ob- tained a Publick House, or a House on purpose for that use, we are become more offensive to some than we were before, so that we cannot give content to some one way nor other ; for we have been shut out of our Publick House, and the Doors nayled up, and have bin forced to meet without in the open air on a very cold day. Though by the next day they were open again, we know not how, but do yet question whether we shall injoy the liberty of our House for Publick Worship or no ; so that from what hath been said, it appears, that we are mnuch wronged in this Charge.
CHARGE 7.
That we are Idolaters, and therefore not to be suf- fered, as in the late Synod Book is concluded.
And the Scriptures they bring to prove it, are these ; Josh. 22. 19. Psa. 99. 8. Ezek. 43. 8. Hos. II. 6.
Ans. The Lord. God of Gods knows, and Israel shall know that we are innocent in this matter, Josh. 22. 21, 22, 23. and that what we have done, is not in rebellion, nor transgression, to turn from following the Lord, or worshipping him according to his own appointments, but that we may with more freedom of Spirit worship the Lord together in
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purity. We do believe that it will appear one day that what we profess and practice, are not our own Inventions, not our own threshold, but God's thresh- old; nor is there such difference between us, and those that do thus accuse us, as that we should be thus rendered ; we hope that we all agree in the same foundation, Christ Jesus, and all own the same Word for our Rule : though we are imperfect in our under- standings, and so are they, and who is not? The Lord forgive them, we desire to forgive them, and pray for them.
CHARGE 8.
We are charged to be enemies to Civil Government.
Ans. We know no reason why we should be charged with this, not in the least degree. (1) It is directly against our Principles, and contrary to what we as- serted in a Confession of Faith, that we formerly gave into the Court, as also to that Confession of Faith lately put forth by our Brethren in Old England, which Confession we own in every particular. (2) Our continual Prayers to God for them, according to I Tim. I. 1, 2. will witness against this charge. (3) Our constant subjection and obedience to all their laws, both actively (as far as we can with a good Con- science) and wherein we could not Actively, there we have been Passively obedient ; in suffering what hath bin inflicted on us, without seeking any revenge in the least.
Fourthly. In paying all due demands whatsoever; not being desirous to withhold from Cæsar at any time, any of his dues. In a word both our Persons and Estates are always ready at command to be serv- iceable in the defence of the Authority, and Country, yea and have bin voluntarily offered on the high places of the field in the time of the Countrey's greatest Ex- tremity; we have not thought our lives too dear, to put in our hands in the defence of the Countrey. For
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divers of us did with some others, freely offer our- selves for the service of the Countrey against the In- dians, even in the time of their greatest distress ; Among whom was William Turner, whom they pleased to make Captain of that Company, who had bin one of the greatest Sufferers among us, for the profession of Religion. He was a very worthy man for Souldiery; and Edward .Drinker, who had bin an- . other Sufferer, whom they pleased to make Lieuten- ant; And by the presence of the Lord with them, they were made instruments of the preservation of the Town from the rage of the Heathen, who did vio- lently beset it, and break into it, but they being there, beat them out, and after this by Captain Turner (who was Commander in Chief at that time) as an Instru- ment in the hand of the Lord, was the greatest blow given to the Indians of any that they had received; for after this they were broken and scattered, so that they were overcome, and subdued with ease. In this Fight did good Captain Turner lose his life. Here it is to be observed that those who had suffered so much from the Countrey, and have been Scandalized as Enemies to the Countrey, and their Priviledges, freely offering themselves in the Service of the Countrey, have been (through the Lord's presence with them) some of the principal Instruments to subdne the Barbarous Hea- then, and so deliver the Countrey from its great dis- tress, which may stand as a witness of our Fidelity to the Government to the World's End.
Thus have we bin vilified, and greatly reproached, and are still to this day. It being without any just reason laid on us, that we are one chief cause of all the Judgments of God on the Countrey. We do not excuse ourselves, as not to have share, or part in many of the Sins that have provoked the Lord against Poor New-England; Neither have we been freed from having our part with others in the general Calamities that God hath brought on this poor place. Yet it is M
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observable how graciously the Lord hath dealt with us ; that in the time of great Mortality by the Small- pox, when so many hundreds dyed, though many of us were visited with that visitation, yet no one of our Society was removed by it: but it was not for any- thing in us, that the Lord spared us, but for his Names sake, that the Mouth of our Adversaries iniglit be silent.
But thus injuriously to be dealt with, is no new thing. How often have the most Innocent and Harm- less bin rendered the most Vile, and Odious? God's poor Servants must not think much at these things ; It is the way their Lord and Master hath gone in be- fore them, and no other than he hath foretold them, that they must meet with ; Luke 21, 12. Jo. 16, 33.
And here we cannot but take some notice of a book lately put forth by Mr. Mather, entitled " The Divine right of Infant Baptism " ; (sooner said than proved). The Book itself will sufficiently satisfy any sober un- byassed Christian that shall peruse it, what was the inain, or at least one main design of the Author of it, which no doubt was (whatever is pretended) to render us odious as he could, and not onely us here, but all those of God's people the World over, that pass under that nick name of Anabaptists ; a very unhappy de- sign, and especially in such a day as this, when the Common Adversary is too busy. No doubt Satan and his Instruments are much gratifyed by it, the Common Adversary will make himself Sport with it, and the more that such a thing should be done in New-England. But we desire to lament that tliere should be such a Spirit breathing in God's people one against another. We blame not the Author for dis- puting for what he believes to be a truth in the point of Baptism, but for casting so much Dirt, and filth on those of the Lord's People, who are not of his inind in that particular ; neither shall we, nor have we time now to take up the arguments to make any reply to
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them, they are no new Arguments, but such as have been oft-tinies sufficiently answered. As to the strange stories that be in it, we know not whether they be true or false, we may have as much ground to question thein, as to believe them : but if we grant they may be true, and that to the utmost extent of what they are set out to be; it makes us, nor the truth we profess; never the worse, though it may cause 11s, and the Truth to be evil spoken of by some, as the miscarriages of the professors of Truth, do cause the truth they profess, and the innocent professors thereof, to be evil spoken of; but those that profess the fear of God should know better than so to practice. And may not he that hath a mind to it, write a great Vol- ume of most Hideous Crimes, Abominations, Mur- thers, Cruel Massacres, Uncleanness, and fearful De- baucheries, yea Horrid Seditions, and Insurrections, that have from time to time been perpetrated, by a very great, yea, by the greatest number of those that are for Infant Baptism ? and would it be well taken, and savour of a good Spirit, to charge all these Evils upon all those that are for Infant Baptism ; and make it an Argument to condemn them ; and their practice, as the Author of this Book hath done on the other hand ? But we shall not dabble ourselves with such dirty work, wickedly to injure those who are Holy and Innocent, though we may judge them to be in an error, as they may judge also of uis; it is better to pray one for another, that we all may be led into all Truth, by the Spirit of Truth.
We shall speak particularly (only) to what he saith in the close of his Book, in page 26; where first lie is pleased to say we are combin'd in opposition to the Churches of Christ in New-England, this hath bin sufficiently answer'd in the foregoing discourse.
Secondly, He chargeth us with the Sin of Jero- boam, in making of the lowest people Priests. We easily understand what he meaneth in this; our Evil
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in this respect, is our calling to office those who have not bin bred up in Colledges, and tauglit in other tongues, but have bin bred up to other callings but it is not because we are against Learning, for we do esteem it, and honor it in its place ; and if we had such among us, and that they were, together with that, otherwise duly qualified for the work of the Ministry, we should readily improve them. But we do not think that the Spirit of God is locked up within the narrow limits of Colledge-Learning, that there are none fit to be called to office in a Church but such, nor that all such are fit for such a Work, be they never so great Scholars; neither doe we think that all those that have not that Learning, are to be accounted the lowest of the People. God had indeed bounded the Priesthood to the Tribe of Levi; He liad set apart that Tribe for that Work by a Divine Institution. But we cannot find that the Lord (by Divine Institution) hatlı tyed the work of the Ministry unto inen of such Learning only, but whom he will, lie fits and qualifies for that work. Neither are we left without plain Rules in the New Testament to direct us in this matter.
Thirdly ; He chargeth us with a pernicious Prin- ciple in the Confession of our Faith ; (that is) that Believers baptized, are visible Saints, and fit matter for a visible Church. But who dares deny this to be a sound Truth ? which he is pleased to call a per- nicious Principle. As for the conclusion hie draws from thence, viz. That there are no visible believers but those that are Baptized, is his own, and not ours ; the improvement that lie makes of it, and not what we make of it. Far be it from us to judge all that are not Baptized, not to be visible Saints: for we judge that the Lord hath many precious People in the World that are not Baptized, according to or in the manner that we Baptize; and further we judge that they should be visible Saints, before, Baptized,
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or else they have no right to Baptisin, for it is not Baptism that can make Saints. And as for our esteeming, and looking on Infant Baptism as nothing, or a nullity, that is true ; and we can look on it no otherwise, till we see light to own it to be that which he thinks of it, viz. of Divine Right, which we cannot see any ground from the Word of God to do. And as for not owning their Churches to be the Churches of Christ, we never yet denied them to be Churches of Christ. It is enough for every one to prove his own Work. But we have owned them as Churches of Christ, and do look at them as such: for where there is true matter joyned together in the bond of a Holy Covenant, they may be looked at as a true Church, though they may be defective in some things ; and for not owning it, when put to it in a Publick Assembly, there might be good reason for that ; but it was not denyed then. Christ himself did not answer questions put to him sometimes, when he knew they were proposed for an evil end. Again, he seems to take some notice of the time that we chose to make our disturbance in, (as he call's it) and the Animator thereof. We know not well what he means by it, and therefore do not well know what to say to it. But as to the reflection of making disturb- ance, he seems as though he would make the World to believe that we had caused some Tumult, or Sedi- tion, or made some Insurrection. But the thing he means, was the Act of our first gathering into a Church-state, which was not openly done, whereby there should be any disturbance caused ; neither was there any, neither have we from first to last ever made or caused any disturbance; but the truth is, we have suffered very much disturbance and have seldom been suffered to be at rest, or quiet, though none inore desirous to be at peace than we. But who have bin the principal cause of our trouble and dis- turbance, we shall not here name; It is well enough
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known who they are, and how much disturbance we have met with, how often our Meetings have been disturbed by Constables, and Marshals. Further, as to the other two things : viz. Calling to Office one that was under Church-Censure, and also the receiving of such who for Scandal were justly excommunicated, they have already been fully answered ; and therefore we shall not speak further to it here. Oh what mat- ter of Lamentation is it, that there should be such a Spirit breathing among those that profess Godliness, and such bitterness springing up, and that in New- England ! Can the like be parallel'd in the whole Christian World, that a People that fled from Op- pression, into this Wilderness for Liberty of Con- science, should become such great Oppressors of others for their Conscientiousness to the Lord in the matters of his Worship? Yea, even suclı who are one with them too, in all the main points of Re- ligion? Surely this cannot but be greatly provoking to the eyes of the Lord, and doubtless hath had, among other Sins, a great hand in pulling down all the sore Judgments of the Lord on this poor place. O New England, cease any longer to smite thy Fellow-Servants, lest he that hath already removed four of thy Candle-Sticks, whilst thou hast been labouring (though yet in, vain) to remove one, come and remove all the rest, and inake thy Habitation a Desolation for ever.
FINIS.
The Christian spirit, the broad charity, the equable temper, the unanswerable logic, and the clear com- prehension of this production are manifest. The ab- sence of all vituperation, in an age when very good men deemed it a right part of theological controversy to hurl harsh and abusive words at their adversaries,
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is peculiarly noticeable. The luminous exposition of Christian liberty, and the unyielding adherence to the Bible as the sole ground of faith and practice, are worthy of all admiration. Its large catholicity, its genuine courtesy, its kindliness, and its firmness, mark Elder Russell as no ordinary man and as a fit suc- cessor of Thomas Goold. It is a matter of just pride that the first piece of Baptist literature put forth on this continent should be so worthy an exhibition of our views, our temper, and our aims.
But the judgment upon this pamphlet of many of his contemporaries in the orthodox pulpits may be clearly discovered from the following letter written by the Rev. Thomas Cobbet, minister in Lynn and afterward in Ipswich, to Rev. Increase Mather, of Boston :
I also received from you a booke of Mr Willard's in answer to the late Absurd & Scandalous narrative of John Russel and his Anabaptisticall crew in Boston ; which fallacious & fowle mouthed Russel, although suddenly taken away by Death, & not long sur- viving his slanderous narrative, yet his Associats & Abbettors therein will have no cause now to bee wise in theyr owne conceits, beeing so fully answered according to theyr folly, in & by this good booke of M' Willard' s.
The reader of to-day will find it extremely difficult to discover the goodness of Mr. Willard's pamphlet, which was so easily discovered two hundred years ago by pious Mr. Cobbet. Nevertheless Mr. Cobbet had a keener eye for logic than many men of later date as this further extract from his letter witnesseth :
And I add, that theyr very principle of makeing infant Bap- tisme a nullity, it doth make at once, all our churches, & our re-
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ligious, Civill state and polity, and all the officers & members thereof to be unbaptized & to bee no Christians, & so our Churches to bee no churches : & so we have no regular power to choose Deputies for any Generall Courts, nor to chuse any Magistrates.1
This logic is inexorable, and the issues involved in the controversy are herein clearly set forth. Nor was Mr. Cobbet alone in his discerning the vital bearing of the question of infant baptism on the existence of a theocratic State. There were many others who saw with equal clearness that the abandonment of infant baptism would be the utter destruction of the com- pact between Church and State.
1 " Mass. Historical Collection, " Vol. XXXVIII., p. 291.
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CHAPTER IX
DEATH OF RUSSELL. CHURCH AT KITTERY. . KING'S CHAPEL. DISCIPLINE OF FARNUM AND DRINKER. ELISHA CALLENDER.
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DURING the first period of quiet that the church had known, and when for a little time it was free from constant harassment, it was called to bury its beloved first pastor, Thomas Goold.
Again a similar experience came to them. They had gained the silent though unwilling acquiescence of the authorities for their assembling in their own meeting-house. The civil enactinents against them were not enforced. They had vindicated themselves against false charges. They were on the eve of prosperity and quiet, when they were called to part from their second pastor. " On 2Ist of Decembe our Reverend Elder John Russell deceased " (1680).1 He had been a fellow-sufferer with them almost from the beginning. He had been pastor for one year and five months. He was a man of sterling qualities, stead- fast in conduct, devout in spirit, and possessed of inore than ordinary ability. The church at once pro- vided for the carrying on of its work,
and upon the 22ª Instant Itt was unanimously Agreed upon by the Brethren that Bro Drinker should Carry on the work of god in Boston in ye Absence of ye Elder Hull in ye Afternoone on ye lords Day and itt was alsoe Agreed upon yt Brother Callender should be usefull in Carrying on ye work of god on ye forenoone in ye Elder's absence. 1
It is not known how long after Elder Russell's
1 " Church Record."
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death, that Isaac Hull was ordained pastor. It was probably in 1682. Elder Myles was present, Nov. 12, 1681, to baptize Mary Dill, by which I conclude that Mr. Hull was not yet ordained. The church had a remarkable body of sturdy, sensible laymen, who steadily carried on its work during these changes. Thomas Osborne, Benjamin Sweetser, Ellis Callender, Thomas Foster, Thomas Skinner, and Philip Squire were inen who would guarantee stability in any church. They knew no fear. They could not be swerved from the straight path of liberty. They had an unusually clear perception of the issues involved in the struggle, and a persistent faith in the final victory.
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