USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The history of the First Baptist church of Boston (1665-1899) > Part 5
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The church being gathered mett with great opposition from the government of the place, upon which they drew up and delivered to the Court this confession as followeth to let the world know there faith & order proved from the word of God.
Wee believe with the heart & confess with the mouth that there is but (a) one god (b) Creator & governor of all things (c) distin- guished into father, Son, & holy spirit (d) & that this is life eter- nall to know the only true god & Jesus Christ whom hee hath sent (a) Deut. 6 : 4 : 1 tim. 2 : 5 : Eph. 4 : 6 : (b) gen. I : I : hebs II : 3 : (c) matt. 8 : 16: 1 John 5 : 7 : (d) John 17 : 3 : heb's 5 : 9 : (d) & that the rule of this knowledge faith & obedience concern- ing the worship & service of god & all other christian duties is the written word of god contained in the bookes of the old & new testaments (e) john 5 : 39 : 2 tim 3 : 15 : 16 : 17 : deut : 4 : 2 : 5 : 6 : gen : 6 : 22 exd : 20 : 4 : 5 : 6 : & 39 : 42 : 43 I chron : 28 : 19 ; psal : 119 : ezra : 8 : 19 : 20 & 27 : 13 : gall : 1 : 8 : Rev 22 : 18 : 19 : (f) wee believe Christ is the foundation laid by the father (g) of whom moses and the prophets wrote & the apostles preached (h) who is that great prophet whom wee are to heare in all things (i) who hath perfectly revealed out of the bossom of his father the whole word and will of god which his servants are to know believe and obey (f) gen 3 : 15 : & 22 : 18 : (g) deut : 18 : 15 : psal : 22 : 6 : 7 : 12 : & 17 (h) deut : 18 : 15 : acts 3 : 22 : 23 : (i) john 1 : 18 : & 12 : 29 : & 15 : 15 & 17 : 18 : matt : 17 : 5 : 2 tim : 3 : 15 : 16 : 17 : (k) Christ his commission to his desciples is to teach & baptise (1) And those that gladly received the word & are baptised are saints by calling & fitt matter for a vissible church (m) And a competent number of such joyned together in covenant & fellow- ship of the gosple are a Church of Christ (k) matt : 28 : 19 : acts 9: 10 : 18 : & 10 : 28 : (1) acts 2 : 41 : (m) I cor 1 : 1 : 2 : 4 : 5 : jer : 50 : 4 : 5 : psal : 50 : 5 : micha 4 : 5 : matt : 18 : 15 : 20 (o) wee believe that a church thus constituted are to walk in all the appointments of Christ (p) And have power from him to chuse from among themselves there owne officers whom the gosple allowes to administer in the ordinances of Christ among them whom they may depute or ordaine to this end (o) matt 28 : 20 : (p) acts 14 : 23 & 6 : 3 : 5 : 6 : Rom 12 : 4 : 8 : acts 9 : 10 : 18 & 10 : 47 : 48 : (q) And this church hath power to receive into there fellowship
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vissible believers (r) & if any prove scandelouse obstenate & wicked to put forth such from amongst them (s) when the church is mett together they may all propesie one by one that all may all learne & all may be comforted (t) & they ought to meete together the first day of the weeke to attend upon the Lord in all his holy ordinances continuing in the Apostles doctrine & fellowship & breaking bread & praise (q) rom : 14 : 1 & 16 : 2 : (r) matt 18 : 7: I cor : 4 : 5: (s) I cor : 14 : 23 : 24 : 25 : 31 : (t) acts 20 : 7 : I cor : 16 : 2 : acts 2 : 42 : (v) wee acknowlidge majestracy to bee an ordinance of god & to submitt ourselves to them in the lord not becawse of wrath only but also for consience sake rom : 13 : 1 I pet : 2 : 13 : 14 (w) thus wee desire to give unto god that which is gods & unto ceasere that which is ceaseres & to every man that which belong- eth to them (x) endeavoring alwaise to have a cleare consience voide of offence towards god & towards men having hope in god that the resurection of the dead bee of the just unto life & of the unjust unto condemnation everlasting (y) if any take this to bee heresie then doe wee with the apostles confess that after the way which they call heresie wee worship the father of our Lord Jesus Christ believing all things that are written in the law & in the prophets & in the psalms (w) matt : 22 : 21 (x) acts 24 : 14 : 15 : 16 : john 5 : 28 (y) 2 tim : 1 : 13 : & 3 : 14 : 15 : 16 : 17 : matt : IO : 32. This was delivered to A Court of Assistants on the . . . of the seventh month 1665.
This Confession of Faith is notable for its simpli- city, comprehensiveness, and biblicalness, but it did not please the Court, which charged the Baptists "to desist from their schismatical practises." The Bap- tists were as stubborn as the Court, and continued to meet as a church of Christ. When the General Court inet the next month (October 11), they ordered to appear before them Goold, Osborne, Drinker, Turner, and George, who laid before them the same Confes- sion of Faith which they had presented before the Court of Assistants. Its closing confession and plea,
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if any take this to bee heresie then doe wee with the apostles confess that after the way which they call heresie wee worship the father of our Lord Jesus Christ believing all things that are writ- ten in the law & in the prophets, & in the psalms,
were of no avail with the Court, as the following statement and action show :
Att the sessions of the General Court at Boston the 11th of Oc- tober, 1665, whereas at the last Court of Assistants, Thomas Gold & his company, sundry of them, were openly convicted of schismattically rending from the communion of the Churches here & setting up a publicke meeting in opposition to the ordinances of Christ here Publickly Exercised & were sollemnly charged not to persist in such their pernitious practises, yet this not wthstanding (as this Court is informed) they doe still persist in Contemning the Authority established. It is therefore ordered that the afore- sayd Gold & Company bee summoned before this Court to give an Account of such theire irregular practises, together wth theire Celebrating the Lord's Supper by an excommunicate person. Warrant issued out accordingly. The partys appeared. After a due hearing what they had to say, the Court proceeded, whereas Thomas Gold, William Turner, Edward Drincker, Thomas Os- borne & John George, being summoned before the last Court of Assistants held at Boston in September last, were legally Convicted of Schismatticall opposition to the Churches of Christ heere settled & of profaning the holy appointments of Christ & in speciall the Sacraments of Baptisme & the Lord's Supper by Administering the same to persons under censure of an Approved Church among us, & presuming as a covert of these theire irre- ligious and pernitious practises doe declare themselves to bee a Church of Christ. On Consideration whereof the Court sollemnly admonished the Sayd Persons of theire great evill, in attempting with soe high a hand to pollute & profane God's holy ordinances, they being not only private, but also some of them excommuni- cate persons, that have intermeddled in the Administration of these Ordinances that are proper only to office trust. And also the sayd Court sollemnly charged them that for the future, they
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desist from such theire meeting, & irreligious practises, as they would Answer the contrary at theire perill. And whereas Thos Gold, William Turner, Thos Osborne, Edwd Drincker & Jnº George, were summoned before this Court & by theire owne Ac- knowledgement doe stand convicted of non observation & sub- mission unto the above sayd sentence & charge of the Court of Assistants, professing theire resolution yet further to procede in such theire irregular practises, thereby as well contemning the Authority & Lawes heere established for the maintenance of Godli- ness & honesty, as continuing in the profanation of God's holy ordinances. This Court taking the premises into theire serious consideration, do judge meete to declare that the sayd Gold & Company are noe orderly Church Assembly & that they stand justly convicted of high presumption against the Lord & his holy appointments : as also the peace of this Government against which this Court doth Account themselves Bound to God, to his truth & his Churches heere planted, to beare theire Testimony. And doe therefore sentence the sayd Gold, Osborne, Drincker, Turner & George, such of them as are freemen to bee disfranchised, & all of them upon conviction, before any one magistrate or Court, of theire further proceeding herein to bee committed to Prison, untill the Generall Court shall take further order wth them.
Attest, Edw : Rawson, secrety. 1
But they still continued to meet together in their own church fellowship, and steadily absented them- selves from the established worship. Hence on April 17, 1666, they were presented by the Grand Jury to the County Court at Cambridge "for absenting them- selves from worship." They declared, in answer, "that they were a publique meeting according to the order of Christ Jesus gathered together."1 Thomas Osborne answered that "the reason of his non-attend- ance was that the Lord hath discovered unto him from his word and spirit of truth that the society where-
1 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers."
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with he is now in communion is more agreeable to the word of God, asserted that they were a church and attended the worship of God together, and do judge themselves bound so to do, the ground whereof he said he gave in to the General Court. Thomas Goold answered that as for coming to public worship, they did meet in public worship according to the rule of Christ, the grounds whereof they liad given to the Court of Assistants, asserted that they were a public meeting according to the order of Christ Jesus, gathered together. John George answered that he did attend the public meetings on the Lord's days where he was a member, asserted that they were a church according to the order of Christ in the gospel, and with them he walked and held communion in the public worship of God on the Lord's days." 1
The Court declared that their attendance on wor- ship " was not in a lawful way," and Goold, Osborne, and George were each fined four pounds therefor, and ordered to bind themselves in a bond of twenty pounds apiece for their appearance at the next Court of Assistants. They refused to pay the fine and were committed to prison. The Court of Assistants met and sentenced them to pay their fines and costs of Court, and said that if they would do this, they should be set at liberty, but added that "the Order of Court of October, 1665, referring to said schismattical assembly shall be and hereby is declared to be in full force." 2 It is not known how soon they were released from prison, but on October 24, 1666, warrants were put
1 " Mass. Hist.," Vol. III., pp. 400, 401. Backus, Vol. I., p. 299. 2 " Mass. Records."
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into the hands of the Charlestown constables, "to obtain the names of such [Anabaptists] as you shall find met together."1 During this summer they mnet sometimes in Charlestown and sometimes on Noddle's Island (East Boston). Henry Shrimpton, a member of the First Church in Boston, a man of property and honorable standing, evidently did not sympathize witlı the persecutions of the Baptists, for in his will, dated July 17, 1666, occurs the following clause : "To the society of Christians that dothi now ineet at Noddle's Island, of weh is Gold & Osborne & the rest, ten pounds, as a token of my love." It is doubtful if they ever received the ten pounds, for the Court would scarcely give them so much legal recognition as to admit that they were a " regular society." Hitherto the Court had directed its penalties against the male members only of the church, but on April 9, 1666, the constable of Charlestown "warnes Thomas Goold, Thomas Osborne & his wife & Mrs. Newell to appear
at next session of Court."2
March 10, 1667, the con-
stable " warnes John Thrumbes, Thomas Goold, Jas Goold, James Barrett, Steven Raynor, Robert Leethy, Thomas Mansall, Jolin Foskett for not paying their dues towards the upholding the ministry of God's word in ye place."2 June 4, 1667, William Johnson, Con- stable of Charlestown, " is required to warne Thomas Goold & his wife, Benanuel Bowers and his wife, Thomas Osborne and his wife, Stephen Baker, Mr. John Thrumble, Mrs. Newell for their persistency in non attendance on the Publick worship of God on ye
1 "State Archives," Vol. X., p. 224.
2 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers."
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Lord's Dayes,"1 and on June 15th the same constable "levies on Thomas Goold a fine of three pounds, Mrs. Newell three pounds, Thomas Osborne three pounds for absence from the ordinances of publick worship at the towne upon the Lord's Day." 1
The Court had no penalties for men and women who did not attend upon public worship at all, and who wholly ignored the public teachings of religion. To this extent religion in its exercises was voluntary in the colony. But if any man or company of men chose to observe religious exercises, they were per- mitted to do it only in the way established by the Puritan churches. There was no penalty for being non-religious, but there were penalties for being re- ligious in any other way than the Congregational way. The high prelatical notions of the Puritan Church made it peculiarly grievous that a man who had not been ordained by them should baptize and administer the Lord's Supper. These functions be- longed only "to office trust," and it was gross sacri- lege to exercise them out of the regular and autlior- ized way. The high church ideas of the Puritans concerning the ordinances were little less prelatical than those of the Roman Church. Their ideas con- cerning a religious theocracy were even more strict than those of the Roman Church.
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1 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers."
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CHAPTER V
MANNER OF DISSENT. PUBLIC DISPUTATION.
IN PRISON. APPEAL. MANNER OF WOR- SHIP. REMOVAL TO NODDLE'S ISLAND.
V
"THE heresie of Anabaptisme " kept spreading in every direction in spite of all efforts for its suppres- sion. The constable of Woburn, June 5, 1667 was ordered "to warn John Jolinson, John Russell, Jr., George Polly, Richard Nevers, for turning their back on ye ordinance of Baptisme." 1 This seems to have been a favorite method at that period of exhibiting the strongest dissent from the practice of infant bap- tism. To stand in the assembly with one's back turned toward the minister when he administered the ordinance, was an emphatic statement, without words, of the dissenter's opinion of the ordinance. Some- times the dissenter would rise and walk out of the assembly in so unmistakable a manner that all knew what it signified. Both of these modes of expression were peculiarly irritating to the members of the Standing Order, and in these days of greater for- inality and decorum in public worship would seem unpardonably rude. But according to the customs of that time it was not regarded as a breach of good manners. It only advertised as widely as possible the dissenter's doctrinal opinions, and at once gave occa- sion for doctrinal discussion.
It is not difficult to picture to one's self the curi- osity, the agitation, and the vexation in an assembly, when, as the minister was proceeding with solemn and
1 " Middlesex Court, Original Papers."
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hushed attention to christen a child, some prominent citizen and neighbor of Baptist proclivities would slowly arise and adjusting hat and cloak would walk resoundingly across the uncarpeted and creaking floor, making each heavy step toward the door speak his vig- orous protest. The Puritans were by nature and prac- tice an emphatic folk, and the dissenters, who were of the same English stock and training, did not lose any of their emphatic peculiarity because of their dissent. Some of the names of these Woburn men will appear again in this history. When the Court of Assistants met in Boston, March 3, 1668, the case of Thomas Goold came up as plaintiff on appeal from the judg- ment of the last County Court in Charlestown, and to the surprise of all, when the case was laid before the jury, it brought in a verdict in favor of Goold, and thus reversed the verdict of the lower Court. The Court refused to accept the verdict of the jury and sent them out for a reconsideration. Under this re- buke and compulsion, the jury brought in a qualified verdict against him, and the Court at once affirmed the judgment. He refused to pay the fine and was thereupon committed to prison.
This difficulty of getting the desired verdict from the jury evidently brought the Court to its sober second thought. They reflected that all their action hitherto had availed nothing in suppressing Baptists, but had rather spread their doctrines, and that when juries were beginning to sympathize with their perse- cuted townsmen, it was time to pursue a different and more effectual course. On March 7, 1668, they put forth the following declaration :
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The Governor and Council, accounting themselves bound by the law of God, and of this Commonwealth, to protect the churches of Christ here planted, from the intrusion thereby made upon their peace in the ways of godliness, yet being willing by all Christian candor to endeavor the reducing of the said persons from the error of their way, and their return to the Lord and the commu- nion of his people from whence they are fallen, do judge meet to grant unto Thomas Goold, John Farnum, Thomas Osborn, and company, yet further an opportunity of a full and free debate, of their grounds for their practice : and for that end this court doth nominate and request the Rev. Mr. John Allen (Dedham), Mr. Thomas Cobbett (Lynn), Mr. John Higginson (Salem), Mr. Samuel Danforth (Roxbury), Mr. Jonathan Mitchel (Cambridge), and Mr. Thomas Shepard (Charlestown), to assemble with the Governor and magistrates, upon the 14th day of the next month, in the meeting house at Boston, at nine in the morning : before whom, or so many of them, with any other the Reverend elders or min- isters, as shall there assemble, the above said persons and their company shall have liberty, freely and fully, in open assembly, to present their grounds as above said, in an orderly debate of this following question : Whether it be justifiable by the word of God for these persons and their company to depart from the commun- ion of these churches, and to set up an assembly here in the way of Anabaptisme, and whether such a practice is to be allowed by the government of this jurisdiction : To Thomas Goold : You are hereby required in his Majesty's name, according to the order of the Council above written, to give notice thereof to John Farnum, Senior, Thomas Osborn and the company, and you and they are alike required to give your attendance, at the time and place above mentioned, for the end therein expressed.
EDWARD RAWSON, Secretary.1
This was the opportunity for which Baptists had often preferred requests, from the time of Dr. John Clarke's imprisonment until their last appearance be- fore a civil court, but hitherto they had never obtained
1 Backus, " History," Vol. I., p. 301.
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their wish. The authorities had shrewdly guessed that a public disputation would only serve to make Baptist doctrine more widely known, without winning back to the fold any of the recalcitrant members. They had, therefore, under various shrewd pretexts, always denied opportunity for public discussion. It is not difficult to imagine the scene "at the meeting house at Boston," at nine o'clock on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of April, 1668. Governor Belling- ham and his Council sat as a Court. It was the highest civic tribunal in the colony. The six leading ministers who had been named in the warrant sat to- gether and acted as prosecutors. Goold, Farnum, and Osborn were released from jail long enough to be present and defend themselves and their faith. The news of the public disputation spread far and wide, and great curiosity was aroused. Dr. Clarke's church in Newport, hearing of the proposed debate, sent three trusty brethren, Mr. William Hiscox, Mr. Joseph Torry, and Mr. Samuel Hubbard, to assist their brethren in Boston in the defense. Six university-bred ministers and famous preachers were pitted against six lay- men, none of whom had enjoyed a university educa- tion. It would seem that so great a disparity in the equipment of the two sides would have disposed the Standing Order to allow a fair debate, but such was not the result. The disputation, which lasted through parts of two days, proved to be largely farcical. It consisted chiefly in addresses by the ministers, some- times didactic, sometimes hortatory, sometimes de- nunciatory, and all aimed at the condemnation of the little group of recalcitrant Baptists.
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When the disputants met there was a long speech made by one of their opponents, showing what vile persons the Baptists were and how they acted against the churches and government here, and stood condemned by the Court. The Baptists desired liberty to speak, but they would not suffer them, but told them that they stood there as delinquents and ought not to have liberty to speak. Then they desired that they might choose a moderator as well as they ; but this they denied them.1
There seemed nothing left for them to do, except to remain silent and listen to whatever the ministers might choose to say. At the close of this singular debate, Mr. Jonathan Mitchel, the minister at Cam- bridge, pronounced the dreadful anathema of Deut. 17 : 8-12 against them, the closing words of which are : "And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there, before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die, and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel." Thus ended this fair de- bate. In the records of the First Church, Roxbury, is this naïve entry :
14 & 15, 2™ 1668. A public Disputation by order of ye Council for ye conviction of Tho. Goole, John Farnham, sen, Tho. Osborn & their company, who schismatically withdrew from ye comunion of these churches & set up another assembly in ye way of anabaptism & boldly intermeddled with those institutions of ye La Jesus weh are proper to office trust, showing that their practise is not justifiable by ye word of God, nor to be allowed by ye government of this jurisdiction. 2
The whole purpose of ministers and Court evidently
1 Benedict, "History," p. 384.
2 Transcribed by Rev. James De Normandie, minister of First Church, Roxbury.
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was not to convince by reason and the Scriptures, but to overpower by authority and to awe by haughty threatenings. This entry occurs in Capt. Hull's Diary :
April 18, 1668. This General Court of Election, Thomas Goold, William Turner, John Farnum were called before them : asked whether, after all pains taken to convince them of their evils, they would lay down their assemblings and cease profaning the holy ordinances-the supper and baptism ; but with great obstinacy they professed themselves bound to continue in these ways and were ready to seal it with their blood.
Men who had already suffered so much could not now be put down by a show of authority, and threats were not persuasive. When the Court met in Boston on May 7 following, it proceeded to the next and oft- used argument :
Whereas the Council did, in March last, for their further con- viction, appoint a meeting of divers elders, and required the said persons to attend the said meeting, which was held here in Bos- ton, with a great concourse of people, the effect whereof hath not been prevalent with them as we could have desired, . . this Court, being sensible of their duty to God and the country, and being desirous that their proceedings in this great cause might be clear and regular, do order that the said Goold and company be required to appear before this Court, that the Court may under- stand from themselves, whether upon the means used or other considerations, they have altered their former declared resolution, and are willing to desist from their former offensive practice, that accordingly a meete and effectual remedy may be applied to so dangerous a malady.
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