A63200:19
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that…A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that…
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.
London: printed by T. Paine and M. Simmons for Thomas Underhill, 1644
Letter: An Epistle written by the Elders of the Churches in NEW-ENGLAND, to those godly Ministe…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
An Epistle written by the Elders of the Churches in NEW-ENGLAND, to those godly Ministers fore-mentioned that sent over the Positions.
Reverend and beloved Brethren:
IN these remote Coasts of the earth, whereunto the good hand of God hath brought us, as we do with much comfort of heart call to mind the many gracious blessings, which both with you, and from you, we enjoyed in our Christian and holy communion, (the memory and fruit whereof we hope shall never be blotted out) so we have also seen cause to look back to our former administrations there, and to search and try our ways; that wherein soever we have formerly gone astray, we might judge our selves for it before the Lord: And that seeing now God hath set before us an open door of liberty, we might neither abuse our liberty in the Gospel, to run out into any groundless unwarrantable courses, nor neglect the present opportunity to administer (by the help of Christ) all the holy ordinances of God, according to the pattern set before us in the Scripture; In our native Country, when we were first called to the Ministry, many of us took some things to be indifferent and lawful, which in after-times we saw to be sinful, and durst not continue in the practise of them there; Afterwards some things that we bare as burdens, that is, as things inexpedient though not utterly unlawful; we have no cause to retain and practise the same things here, which would not have been not only inexpedient, but unlawful: such things as a man may tolerate when he cannot remove them, he cannot tolerate without sin, when he may remove them; Besides some things we practised there (which we speak to our shame and grief) which we never took into serious consideration whether they were lawful, and expedient or no, but took them for granted, and generally received; not only by the most Reformed Churches, but by the most godly and judicious servants of God amongst them; which nevertheless when we came to weigh them in the balance of the Sanctuary, we could not find sufficient warrant in the Word to receive them, and establish them here: of one of these three kinds will these our present practises appear to be, which you call our new opinions, or, Innovations here; except it be some few of them, which though they have been reported to you to be our Judgements and practises, yet are indeed far from