EDMOND FREEMAN,
WILLIAM THOMAS,
WILLIAM PADY,
NATHANIELL SOUTHER.
The nexte year this long and tedious bussines came to some issue, as
will then appeare, though not to a finall ende with all y^e parties; but
this much for y^e presente.
I had forgoten to inserte in its place how y^e church here had invited
and sent for M^r. Charles Chansey,[EH] a reverend, godly, and very
larned man, intending upon triall to chose him pastor of y^e church
hear, for y^e more comfortable performance of y^e ministrie with Mr.
John Reinor, the teacher of the same. But ther fell out some differance
aboute baptising, he holding it ought only to be by diping, and putting
y^e whole body under water, and that sprinkling was unlawfull. The
church yeelded that immersion, or dipping, was lawfull, but in this
could countrie not so conveniente. But they could not nor durst not
yeeld to him in this, that sprinkling (which all y^e churches of Christ
doe for y^e most parte use at this day) was unlawfull, & an humane
invention, as y^e same was prest; but they were willing to yeeld to him
as far as y^ey could, & to y^e utmost; and were contented to suffer him
to practise as he was perswaded; and when he came to minister that
ordnance, he might so doe it to any y^t did desire it in y^t way,
provided he could peacably suffer Mr. Reinor, and such as desired to
have theirs otherwise baptised by him, by sprinkling or powering on of
water upon them; so as ther might be no disturbance in y^e church
hereaboute. But he said he could not yeeld herunto. Upon which the
church procured some other ministers to dispute y^e pointe with him
publikly; as Mr. Ralfe Partrich, of Duxberie, who did it sundrie times,
very ablie and sufficently, as allso some other ministers within this
govermente. But he was not satisfied; so y^e church sent to many other
churches to crave their help and advise in [241] this mater, and, with
his will & consente, sent them his arguments writen under his owne hand.
They sente them to y^e church at Boston in y^e Bay of Massachusets, to
be comunicated with other churches ther. Also they sent y^e same to the
churches of Conightecutt and New-Haven, with sundrie others; and
received very able & sufficent answers, as they conceived, from them and
their larned ministers, who all concluded against him. But him selfe was
not satisfied therw^th. Their answers are too large hear to relate. They
conceived y^e church had done what was meete in y^e thing, so M^r.
Chansey, having been y^e most parte of 3. years here, removed him selfe
to Sityate, wher he now remaines a minister to y^e church ther. Also
about these times, now y^t catle & other things begane greatly to fall
from their former rates, and persons begane to fall into more straits,
and many being allready gone from them, (as is noted before,) both to
Duxberie, Marshfeeld, and other places, & those of y^e cheefe sorte, as
M^r. Winslow, Captaine Standish, Mr. Allden, and many other, & stille
some dropping away daly, and some at this time, and many more unsetled,
it did greatly weaken y^e place, and by reason of y^e straitnes and
barrennes of y^e place, it sett y^e thoughts of many upon removeall; as
will appere more hereafter.
_Anno Dom: 1642._
Marvilous it may be to see and consider how some kind of wickednes did
grow & breake forth here, in a land wher the same was so much witnesed
against, and so narrowly looked unto, & severly punished when it was
knowne; as in no place more, or so much, that I have known or heard of;
insomuch as they have been somewhat censured, even by moderate and good
men, for their severitie in punishments. And yet all this could not
suppress y^e breaking out of sundrie notorious sins, (as this year,
besids other, gives us too many sad presidents and instances,)
espetially drunkennes and unclainnes; not only incontinencie betweene
persons unmaried, for which many both men & women have been punished
sharply enough, but some maried persons allso. But that which is worse,
even sodomie and bugerie, (things fearfull to name,) have broak forth in
this land, oftener then once. I say it may justly be marveled at, and
cause us to fear & tremble at the consideration of our corrupte natures,
which are so hardly bridled, subdued, & mortified; nay, cannot by any
other means but y^e powerfull worke & grace of Gods spirite. But (besids
this) one reason may be, that y^e Divell may carrie a greater spite
against the churches of Christ and y^e gospell hear, by how much y^e
more they indeaour to preserve holynes and puritie amongst them, and
strictly punisheth the contrary when it ariseth either in church or
comone wealth; that he might cast a [242] blemishe & staine upon them in
y^e eyes of [y^e] world, who use to be rash in judgmente. I would rather
thinke thus, then that Satane hath more power in these heathen lands, as
som have thought, then in more Christian nations, espetially over Gods
servants in them.
2. An other reason may be, that it may be in this case as it is with
waters when their streames are stopped or da[=m]ed up, when they gett
passage they flow with more violence, and make more noys and
disturbance, then when they are suffered to rune quietly in their owne
chanels. So wikednes being here more stopped by strict laws, and y^e
same more nerly looked unto, so as it cannot rune in a comone road of
liberty as it would, and is inclined, it searches every wher, and at
last breaks out wher it getts vente.
3. A third reason may be, hear (as I am verily perswaded) is not more
evills in this kind, nor nothing nere so many by proportion, as in other
places; but they are here more discoverd and seen, and made publick by
due serch, inquisition, and due punishment; for y^e churches looke
narrowly to their members, and y^e magistrats over all, more strictly
then in other places. Besids, here the people are but few in comparison
of other places, which are full & populous, and lye hid, as it were, in
a wood or thickett, and many horrible evills by y^t means are never seen
nor knowne; wheras hear, they are, as it were, brought into y^e light,
and set in y^e plaine feeld, or rather on a hill, made conspicuous to
y^e veiw of all.
But to proceede; y^er came a letter from y^e Gov^r in y^e Bay to them
here, touching matters of y^e forementioned nature, which because it may
be usefull I shall hear relate it, and y^e passages ther aboute.
S^r: Having an opportunitie to signifie y^e desires of our Generall
Court in toow things of spetiall importance, I willingly take this
occasion to imparte them to you, y^t you may imparte them to y^e rest
of your magistrats, and also to your Elders, for counsell; and give us
your advise in them. The first is concerning heinous offences in point
of uncleannes; y^e perticuler cases, with y^e circomstances, and y^e
questions ther upon, you have hear inclosed. The 2. thing is
concerning y^e Ilanders at Aquidnett; y^t seeing the cheefest of them
are gone from us, in offences, either to churches, or co[=m]one welth,
or both; others are dependants on them, and y^e best sorte are such as
close with them in all their rejections of us. Neither is it only in a
faction y^t they are devided from us, but in very deed they rend them
selves from all y^e true churches of Christ, and, many of them, from
all y^e powers of majestracie. We have had some experience hereof by
some of their underworkers, or emissaries, who have latly come amongst
us, and have made publick defiance against magistracie, ministrie,
churches, & church covenants, &c. as antichristian; secretly also
sowing y^e seeds of Familisme, and Anabaptistrie, to y^e infection of
some, and danger of others; so that we are not willing to joyne with
them in any league or confederacie at all, but rather that you would
consider & advise with us how we may avoyd them, and keep ours from
being infected by them. Another thing I should mention to you, for
y^e maintenance of y^e trad of beaver; if ther be not a company to
order it in every jurisdition among y^e English, which companies
should agree in generall of their way in trade, I supose that y^e
trade will be overthrowne, and the Indeans will abuse us. For this
cause we have latly put it into order amongst us, hoping of
incouragmente from you (as we have had) y^t we may continue y^e same.
Thus not further to trouble you, I rest, with my loving remembrance to
your selfe, &c.
Your loving friend,
RI: BELLINGHAM.
Boston, 28. (1.) 1642.