THERE are in Mr. Stoddard's Preface to his Sermon, several Passages very Exceptionable. One is, his Complaining, That those Holy men who first Planted this Land, did not acknowledge a Public Government in the Church. Which is a mistake. For they did declare in the most Public manner that can be, That there is a Form of Church Government, which is of Divine Institution, and also what that Form is. Not only has Mr. Cotton done it, in his Book of the Keys of the Kingdom, and of the Way of the Churches in New-England; And Mr. Hooker, in his Survey. And my Father, in his Answer to Thirty Two Questions; which goeth under the Name of the Elders of New-England. And Mr. Norton, in his Answer to the Queries, Proposed by Apollonij, (a Famous Dutch Minister of the Presbyterian persuasion) a very Learned Book, and the First that ever was Written in New-England, or I suppose in America, in the Latin Tongue. But moreover, a Synod of the Elders and Messengers of the Churches, Meeting at Cambridge, 1648. has Published a Platform of Church Discipline, Gathered out of the Word of God. Blessed Mr. Norton, in his Dying Sermon, Expressed himself thus, Remember that we have the Pattern in the Mount, I mean we have the Scripture as a Rule, & you have the Platform of Church-Discipline, given to you in way of ⟨image ?⟩Counsel, as the Confession of our Faith, in this way of Church-Government; that which for the Substance of it owns the Cause Congregational, if any are departed from it, let them look to it; I know none of the Elders that are receded from it. It was given many Years ago as the Confession of our Faith to this Country, and to the World. It is distinct from the Episcopacy, & from the Presbyterian Way; from the Morellian Way, and from that of Separatism; and is for the Substance of it, precisely the Way Congregational: We have the Pattern: only this is complained of, that it is not practised, tho' we had it many Years ago. Now Practice is the end of Doctrine;—Let the Churches look to it, we are all concerned herein. Our Fidelity in this cause is our Crown. See that it be not taken from us. Thus spoke that Learned & Holy man, who was in his time the Glory of Boston, in the Last Sermon that ever he Preached; and therefore his Words ought to have the more Weight with us.
THERE are in Mr. Stoddards Preface to his Sermon, several Passages very Exceptionable. One is, his Complaining, That those Holy men who first Planted this Land, did not acknowledge a Publick Government in the Church. Which is a mistake. For they did declare in the most Publick manner that can be, That there is a Form of ChurchGovernment, which is of Divine Institution, and also what that Form is. Not only has Mr. Cotton done it, in his Book of the Keys of the Kingdom, and of the Way of the Churches in New-England; And Mr. Hooker, in his Survey. And my Father, in his Answer to Thirty Two Questions; which goeth under the Name of the Elders of New-England. And Mr. Norton, in his Answer to the Queries, Proposed by Apollonij, (a Famous Dutch Minister of the Presbyterian perswasion) a very Learned Book, and the First that ever was Written in New-England, or I suppose in America, in the Latin Tongue. But moreover, a Synod of the Elders and Messengers of the Churches, Meeting at Cambridge, 1648. has Published a Platform of Church Discipline, Gathered out of the Word of God. Blessed Mr. Norton, in his Dying Sermon, Expressed himself thus, Remember that we have the Pattern in the Mount, I mean we have the Scripture as a Rule, & you have the Platform of Church-Discipline, given to you in way of ⟨image ?⟩Counsel, as the Confession of our Faith, in this way of Church-Government; that which for the Substance of it owns the Cause Congregational, if any are departed from it, let them look to it; I know none of the Elders that are receded from it. It was given many Years ago as the Confession of our Faith to this Countrey, and to the World. It is distinct from the Episcopacy, & from the Presbyterian Way; from the Morellian Way, and from that of Separatism; and is for the Substance of it, precisely the Way Congregational: We have the Pattern: only this is complained of, that it is not practised, tho' we had it many Years ago. Now Practice is the end of Doctrine;—Let the Churches look to it, we are all concerned herein. Our Fidelity in this cause is our Crown. See that it be not taken from us. Thus spoke that Learned & Holy man, who was in his time the Glory of Boston, in the Last Sermon that ever he Preached; and therefore his Words ought to have the more Weight with us.
