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…

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 ⟨image 4⟩us: The particulars are too many, and too weighty to give you account of them, and the ground of our proceedings about them in a Letter.

IN these remote Coasts of the earth, whereunto the good hand of God hath brought us, as we doe with much comfort of heart call to mind the many gracious blessings, which both with you, and from you, we injoyed 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 looke back to our former administrations there, and to search and trie our wayes; 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 doore of libertie, wee might neither abuse our libertie in the Gospel, to runne out into any groundlesse unwarrantable courses, nor neglect the present opportunitie to administer (by the helpe of Christ) all the holy ordinances of God, according to the patterne set before us in the Scripture; In our native Countrey, when we were first called to the Ministery, many of us tooke some things to be indifferent and lawfull, which in after-times we saw to be sinfull, and durst not continue in the practise of them there; Afterwards some things that we bare as burthens, that is, as things inexpedient though not utterly unlawfull; we have no cause to retain and practise the same things here, which would not have been not onely inexpedient, but unlawfull: such things as a man may tollerate when he cannot remove them, hee cannot tollerate without sinne, when he may remove them; Besides some things we practised there (which wee speak to our shame and griefe) which we never took into serious consideration whether they were lawfull, and expedient or no, but took them for granted, and generally received; not onely by the most Reformed Churches, but by the most godly and judicious servants of God amongst them; which neverthelesse when we came to weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuarie, 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 appeare 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 farre from