A letter to the author of the pamphlet called An answer [sic] to the…A letter to the author of the pamphlet called An answeer [sic] to the…

We have from the Beginning till now, always managed our ecclesiastical Affairs within our selves; 'tis the Way which the County from its Infancy has gone on in, by the practical Agreement of all, and the Way in which our Peace has ever been maintained; so that we suppose we have been the freest by far of any Part of the Land from unhappy Contentions in our ecclesiastical and religious Concerns, 'till you have overthrown our Peace, and put us into the utmost Confusion, by coming from abroad, and intermeddling in our Affairs: Yea this Way of managing our ecclesiastical Affairs, has not only been established by long continued practical Agreement, but also by the explicit and publicly declared Consent of many of the Churches: In the Year 1714 the Rev. Mr. Brewer of Springfield, with others, did at a Meeting of ⟨p. 20⟩Ministers at Northampton, agree to this, That they judged it to be their Duty to be subject to a Council of the Churches of the County, until there should be some superior Council set up in the Province to which they might appeal; and agreed to make the Proposals to their respective Churches: To which Judgment and Determination they set their Hands, as 'tis found on the Church Records of Northampton: None can remember that ever they heard of Springfield Churches refusing; indeed Mr. Brewer kept no Church Record, and none can be found there that by their Memory can determine one way or other; which seems to be an Argument that it was consented to; for if it had been proposed, and opposed, and rejected, they would be much more likely to remember that, than if it was only proposed and readily agreed to, without ado: And besides, Mr. Williams soon after settling at Long Meadow, Mr. Brewer furnished him with a Copy of those Votes, in order to their being passed by his new gathered Church.

We have from the Beginning till now, always managed our ecclesiastical Affairs within our selves; 'tis the Way which the County from its Infancy has gone on in, by the practical Agreement of all, and the Way in which our Peace has ever been maintained; so that we suppose we have been the freest by far of any Part of the Land from unhappy Contentions in our ecclesiastical and religious Concerns, 'till you have overthrown our Peace, and put us into the utmost Confusion, by coming from abroad, and intermeddling in our Affairs: Yea this Way of managing our ecclesiastical Affairs, has not only been establish'd by long continued practical Agreement, but also by the explicit and publickly declared Consent of many of the Churches: In the Year 1714 the Rev. Mr. Brewer of Springfield, with others, did at a Meeting of