Parentator. Memoirs of remarkables in the life and the death of the ever-memorable Dr.…

There is now nothing to retard the Progress of our History: But having settled Mr. Mather in the Pastoral Charge of the North Church in Boston, and exhibited the Dispositions and Exercises, of a more General Application, which he had, not only in the First Years of his Ministry, but also pretty far into it, we may now proceed unto some Remarkable Affairs and Actions of his Life, in the Order wherein we shall find them occur unto us.

THere is now nothing to retard the Progress of our History: But having settled Mr. Mather in the Pastoral Charge of the North Church in Boston, and exhibited the Dispositions and Exercises, of a more General Application, which he had, not only in the First Years of his Ministry, but also pretty far into it, we may now proceed unto some Remarkable Affairs and Actions of his Life, in the Order wherein we shall find them occur unto us.

At the time of his Return to New-England he found the Country, deeply engaged in a Disputation, about The Church-state of their Posterity; wherein it is no wonder if the Political as well as the Ecclesiastical concerns of a Country founded on the Bottom of Religion, were affected. The Country soon became sensibly divided into Synodalian; and Antisynodalian; & Mr. Mather from his Youth making a Figure wherever he came, he now did so on the Antisynodalian side. If I venture to say, He was in the Wrong, I shall anon show so good Authority for my saying so, that He & the World, will Pardon me. The case was This. When our Churches were come to between Twenty and Thirty Years of Age, a numerous Posterity appeared, among whom there were Multitudes of ⟨p. 51⟩well-disposed persons, who professed themselves desirous to Renew their Baptismal Covenant, and Submit unto the Church-Discipline, and so have their Houses also marked for the Lords: but yet they could not come up to that Experimental Account of their own Regeneration, which would Sufficiently Embolden their Access unto the Table of the Lord; and which the Churches required of them. Now for the Churches to make no Ecclesiastical Difference between these hopeful Candidates and Competants for the Eucharist; and Pagans who might happen to Hear the Word of GOD in our Assemblies; This was judged an Unwarrantable strictness, which would quickly abandon the biggest part of the Country unto Circumstances by no means to be wished for. But on the other side, it was feared, that if all such as had not yet Exposed themselves by censurable Scandals found upon them, should be admitted unto all the Privileges in our Churches, a Worldly Generation of Men, might before we are aware carry all things into such a course of Proceeding, as would be too Disagreeable unto the Kingdom of Heaven which the Church is to represent unto the World. The Thing became a Considerable Controversy. On this Occasion, there was by the Direction of the General Court, a Synod of the Churches Convened at Boston, in the Spring of the Year, 1662. Who Agreed upon certain Propositions concerning the Subjects of Baptism, and Consociation of Churches, which being presented unto the General Court, an Order was there passed for the Publication and