COTTONUS Redivivus.
OR, THE LIFE OF Mr. JOHN COTTON.

§. 1. WERE I Master of the Pen, wherewith Palladius em­balmed his Chrysostom, the Greek Patriark, or Posid [...]nius Eternized his Austin, the Latin Oracle, among the Ancients; Or, were I Owner of the Quil, where­with among the Moderns, Beza celebrated his Immortal Calvin, or Fabius Immortalized his Ve­nerable Beza; the Merits of John Cotton would oblige me to Employ it, in the Embalm­ing his Famous Memory. If Boston be the chief [...]eat of New England, it was Cotton that was the [Page 2] Father and Glory of Boston: Upon which account it becomes a piece of pure Justice, that the Life of Him, who above all men gave Life to his Country, should bear no little Figure in its intend­ed History; and indeed it any Person in this Town or Land, had the Blessedness, which the Roman Historian, long since pronounced Such, even, To do Things worthy to be Writ, and to Write Things worthy to be Read, it was He; who now claims a Room in our Pages. If it were a Com­parison sometimes made of the Reformers, Pome­ranus was a Grammarian, Just [...]s Jonas was an Orator, Melancth [...]n was a Logician, but Luther was All: even that Proportion, it may without Envy be acknowledged that Cotton bore to the Rest of our New English Divines; He that, whil'st he was Living had this Virtue Extraordinarily Conspicuous in him, That it was his delight always, to acknowledge the Gifts of God, in other men, must now he is Dead, have other men acknowledge of him, what Erasmus do's of Jerom, In boc uno con­junctum fuit et Eximium, quicquid in al [...]is partim ad­miramur.

§. 2. There was a good Heraldry in that speech of the Noble Romanus, It is not the Blood of my Progenitors, but my Christian Profession that makes me Noble. But our John Cotton, besides the Advantage of his Christian Profession, had a Descent from Honourable Progenitors, to render him dou­bly Honourable. His Immediate Proginitors being [Page 3] by some Injustice, Deprived of Great Revenues, his Father Mr. Roland Cotton, had the Education of a Lawyer bestowed by his Friends upon him, in hopes of his being the better capacitated there­by to Recover the Estate, whereof his Family had been wronged; and so the Profession of a Lawyer, was that unto which this Gentleman ap­plied himself all his Dayes. But our John Cotton, in this Happier than Austin, whose Fa­ther was carefuller to make an Orator than a Christian of him, while his Gracious Mother was making him on greater Accounts, A Son of her ma­ny Tears, had a very pious Father in this worthy, Lawyer, as well as a pious Mother, to Interest him in the Covenant of God. That worthy man was indeed very singular in two most Imitable Practices. One was, that when any of his Neigh­bours desirous to Sue▪ one another, addressed him for Counsel, it was his manner, in the most per­swasive and obliging terms that could be, to En­deavour a Reconciliation between both parties; pre­ferring the Consolations of a Peace-maker, before all the Fees, that he might have got by Blowing up of Differences. Another was, that every Night, it was his Custome to Examine Himself, with Re­flections on the Transactions of the Day past; wherein, if he found, that he had not either, Done good unto others, or Got good unto his own Soul, he would be as much grieved as ever the Famous Titus was, when he could complain in [Page 4] the Evening, Amici Diem Perdidi! Of such Pa­rents was Mr. John Cotton born, at the Town of Derby, on the Fourth of December; in the year 1585.

§. 3. The Religious Parents of Mr. Cotton, were Solicitous to have him indued with a Learn­ed, as well as a Pious Education; and being nei­ther so Rich, that the Mater Artis, could have no Room to do her part, nor so Poor that the Res Augusta D [...]mi, should clog his Progress, they were well fitted thereby, to bestow such an E­ducation upon him. His first Instruction was under a Good School-Master, one Mr. Johnson, in the Town of Derby: whereon the Intellectu­al Endowments of all sorts, with which the God of our Spirits, adorned him, so discovered themselves, that at the Age of Thirteen, his Pro­ficiency procured him Admission into Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge. Indeed the Proverb, Soon Ripe, Soon Rotten, has often been too Hastily ap­plyed unto Rathe-ripe Wits, in young People; not only O [...]mpadius and M [...]ancihon, who Com­menced Batchelours of Arts, at Fourteen years of Age, and Luther, who Commenced Master of Arts at Twenty; but also our Dr. Juel sent unto Oxford, our Dr. Usher sent unto Dublin, and our Mr. Cotton sent unto Cambridge, all at the Age of Thirteen, do put in a Barr to the Universal Ap­plication, of that Proverb. While Mr. Cotton was at the University, his Diligent Head, with Gods [Page 5] Blessing, made him a Rich Scholar; and his Ge­nerous mind found no little Nourishment by that Labour, which like the Sage Philosopher, he found Sweeter than any Idleness: insomuch that his being Elected Fellow of Trinity Colledge, as the Reward of his Quick-Proficiency, was Diverted by no­thing but this, that the Extraordinary Charges for their Great Hall then in Building, did put by their Election. And there was this Remarkable in the Education of this Chosen Vessel, at the Univer­sity: That while he continued there, his Father's Practice was, by the special Providence of God, augmented so much beyond what it had been before, as was enough to mentain him there: Up­on which Observation Mr. Cotton afterwards would say, 'Twas God that kept me at the Univer­sity! Indeed some have said, That the Great Notice quickly taken of the Eminency in the Son, was one Reason, why his Father, not only came to be complemented on all sides, and Omnes Om­nia Bona dicere, & laudare Fortunas ejus, qui Filium haberet Tali Ingenio praeditum, but also had his Clients more than a little multiplied.

§. 4. Upon the Desires of Emanuel-Colledge, Mr. Cotton was not only Removed unto that Col­ledge, but also Preferred unto a Fellowship in it; in order whereunto, he did according to the Cri­tical and Laudable Statutes of the House, go through a very severe Examen of his Fitness for [Page 6] such a Station; wherein 'twas particularly Re­marked, that the Poser trying his Hebrew-skill by the Third Chapter of Isaiah, a Chapter which, containing more Hard Words, than any one Pa­ragraph of the Bible, might therefore have puz­zled a very good Hebrician, yet he made nothing of it. He was afterwards, the Head Lecturer, the Dean, the Catechist, in that Famous Colledge; and became a Tutor to many Scholars, who after­wards proved Famous Persons, and had cause to Bless God, for the Faithful, and Ingenious and Laborious Communicativeness of this their Tutor. Here, all his Academical Exercises, whether in Disputations or in Common-places, or whatever else, did so smell of the, Lamp, that the Wit, the Strength, the Gravity, and the Fulness, both of Reason and of Reading in them, caused him to be much Admired by the Sparkling Wits of the University. But One thing among the Rest, which caused a Great Notice to be taken of him, throughout the whole University, was his Funeral Oration upon Dr. Some, the Master of Peter House, wherein he approved himself such a Master of Periclaean, or Ciceronian Oratory, that the Auditors were even ready to have Acclamed, Now Vox Ho­minem Sonat! And that which added unto the Reputation, thus Raised for him, was, an Univer­sity-Sermon, wherein Aiming more to Preach Self, than Christ, he used such Florid Strains, as extreme­ly Recommended him, unto the most, who Relished [Page 7] the Wisdom of words above the Words of Wis­dom: though the Pompous Eloquence of that Sermon, afterwards gave such a Distast unto his own Renewed Soul, that with a Sacred Indignation he threw his Notes into the Fire.

§. 5. Hitherto we have seen the Life of Mr. Cotton, while he was not yet Alive! Though the Restraining and Preventing Grace of God, had kept him from such Out-breakings of Sin, as Defile the Lives of most in the World, yet like the Old man, who for such a cause ordered this Epitaph to he Written on his Grave, Here lyes an Old Man, who lived but Seven years, he Reckoned himself to have been but a Dead Man, as being Alienated from the Life of God, until he had Expe­rienced that Regeneration, in his own Soul, which was thus Accomplished. The Holy Spirit of God had been at work upon his Young Heart, by the Ministry of that Reverend and Renowned Preacher of Righteousness, Mr. Perkins; but he Re­sisted and Smothered those Convictions, through a vain Perswasion, that if he became a Godly Man 'twould spoil him for being a Learned One. Yea such was the Secret Enmity and Prejudice of a [...] Unregenerate Soul, against Real Holiness, and such the Torment, which our Lords Witnesses give t [...] the Consciences of the Earthly-minded, that whe [...] he heard the Bell toll for the Funeral of M [...] Perkins, his mind secretly rejoyced in his Delive [...] ­ance, [Page 8] from that Powerful Ministry, by which his Conscience had been so oft Beleagured: The Remembrance of which thing afterwards, did break his Heart Exceedingly! But he was, at length, more effectually awakened, by a Sermon o [...] Dr. Sibs, wherein was Discoursed the Misery of those, who had only a Negative Righteousness, or a Civil, Sober, Honest Blamlesness before men. Mr▪ Cotton became now very sensible of his own Miserable Condition before God; and the Ar­rows of these Convictions, did stick so fast up­on him, that after no less than Three years Dis­consolate Apprehensions under them, the Grace of God made him a throughly Renewed Christian, and filled him with a Sacred Joy, which Accom­panied him, until he went unto the Fulness of Joy for ever. For this cause, as Persons truly Converted unto God have a mighty and lasting Affection for the Instruments of their Conversi­on; thus Mr. Cottons Veneration for Dr. Sibs, was after this very particular and perpetual; and it caused him to have the Picture of that Great Man, in that part of his house, where he [...]ight oftenest Look upon it. But so the Yoke [...]f sore Temptations and Afflictons and long Spi­ritual Trials, fitted him, to be an Eminently Use­ [...]l Servant of God in his Generation!

§. 6. Some time after this Change upon the [...] of Mr. Cotton, it came unto his turn again to [Page 9] Preach at St. Maries; and because he was to Preach, an High Expectation was Raised, through the whole University, that they should have a Ser­mon, flourishing indeed, with all the Learning of the whole University. Many Difficulties had Mr▪ Cotton in his own Mind now, what Course to steer. On the one side▪ he considered, That if he should Preach with a Scriptural and Christian Plainness, he should not only wound his own Fame exceedingly, but also Tempt Carnal men to Revive an Old Cavil, That Religion made Schol­ars turn Dunces, whereby the Name of God might suffer not a little. On the other side, he consi­dered, That it was his Duty to Preach with such a Plainness, as became the Oracles of God, which are intended for the Conduct of men in the Pathes of Life, and not for Theatrical Ostentations and Entertainments, and the Lord needed not any Sin of ours to mentain His own Glory. Hereupon Mr. Cotton Resolved that he would Preach a Plain Sermon, even such a Sermon, as, in his own Conscience, he thought would be most pleasing unto the Lord Jesus Christ; And he dis­coursed Practically and Powerfully, but very so­lidly upon the Plain Doctrine of Repentance. The Vain Wits of the University, Disappointed thus, with a more Excellent Sermon, that shot some Troublesome Admonitions into their Conscien­ces, discovered their Vexation at this Disappoint­ment, by their not Humming, as according to [Page 10] their sinful and absurd Custome, they had for­merly done; and the Vice-Chancellor for the very same Reason also, Graced him not, as he did o­thers, that pleased him. Nevertheless, the satis­faction, which he enjoyed in his own Faithful Soul, abundantly compensated unto him, the Lo [...] of any Humane Favour or Honour; nor did he go without many Encouragements from so [...] Doctors, then having a Better Sense of Religion upon them, who Prayed him to persevere in the Good way of Preaching, which he had now taken▪ But Perhaps the Greatest Consolation of all, was a Notable Effect of the Sermon then Preached The Famous Dr. Preston, then a Fellow of Queen's Colledge in Cambridge, and of Great Note in the University, came to hear Mr. Cotton with the same Itching Ears, as others were then led withal. For some good while after the beginning of the Sermon, his Frustrated Expectation caused him to manifest his Uneasiness all the ways that were then possible; but before the Sermon was end­ed, like one of Peter's Hearers, he found himself Pierced at the Heart▪ His Heart within him wa [...] now struck with such Resentments of his ow [...] Interiour state before the God of Heaven, that [...] could have no Peace in his own Soul, till with Wounded Soul, he had Repaired unto Mr. Cotton from whom he received those Further Assistances wherein he became a Spiritual Father, unto one of the Greatest men in his Age.

[Page 11] §. 7. The Well-disposed People of Boston in Lincolnshire, after this, Invited Mr. Cotton, to be­come their Minister; with which Invitation, out of a Sincere and Serious Desire to Serve our Lord in His Gospel, after the Solemnest Addres­ses to Heaven for Guidance in such a Solemn Affair, he complied. At this Time, the Mayor of the Town, with a more Corrupt Partie, hav­ing procured another Scholar from Cambridge, more agreeable to them, would needs have him to Preach before Mr. Cotton: but the Church-Warden pretending to more of Influence, upon their Ecclesiastical matters, over-ruled it. How­ever when the matter came to a Vote, amongst those to whom the Right of Election did by Charter belong, there was an Equi-Vote for Mr. Cotton, and that other Person; Only the Mayor, who had the Casting-Vote, by a strange Mistake pricked for Mr. Cotton. When the Mayor saw his Mistake, a New-Vote was urged and granted; wherein it again proved an Equi-Vote; but the Mayor most unaccountably mis­tooke again, as he did before. Extremely Dis­pleas'd here at, he pressed for a Third Vote; but the Rest would not Consent unto it; and so the Election fell upon Mr. Cotton, by the Involuntary Cast of that very Hand, which had most oppos­ed it. This Obstruction to the Settlement of Mr. Cotton in Boston, being thus Conquered, ano­ther follow'd; For the Bishop of the Diocess, [Page 12] having understood that Mr. Cotton was infected with Puritanism, set himself immediatly to Dis­courage his being there; only he could Object nothing but, That Mr. Cotton, being a Young man, he was not so fit upon that Score, to be over such a Numerous and such a Factious People. And Mr. Cotton, having Learned no otherwise to value himself, than to Concur with the Apprehensions of the Bishop; intended, therefore, to Return unto Cambridge: But some of his Friends, against his Inclination, knowing the True way of doing it; soon charmed the Bishop, into a Declared O­pinion; that Mr. Cotton was an Honest, and a Learned Man. Thus the Admission of Mr. Cotton unto the Exercise of his Ministry in Boston, was Accomplished.

§. 8. Mr. Cotton found the more Peaceable Reception among the People, through his own want of Internal Peace; and because his continu­al Exercises, from his Internal Temptations and Afflictions, made all People see, that instead o [...] Serving this or that Party, his chief care was a­bout the Salvation of his Own Soul. But the Stirs, which had been made in the Town, b [...] the Arminian Controversies, then Raging, put him upon Further Exercises; whereof he has him­self given us a Narrative in the Ensuing Words ‘When I was first called to Boston in Lincolnshire [...] so it was, that Mr. Dr. Baron, Son of Dr. Baron, (the Divinity Reader of Cambridge) first broach­ed, [Page 13] that which was, then, called Lutheranism; since Arminianism: as being indeed himself, Learned, Acute, Plausible in Discourse, and fit to Insinuate into the Hearts of his Neighbours. And though he were a Physitian by Profession (and of a good skill in that Art) yet he spent the greatest Strength of his Studies, in clearing and promoting the Arminian Tenents. Whence it came to pass, that in all the great Feasts of the Town, the chiefest-Discourse at the Table, did ordinarily fall upon Arminian Points, to the Great Offence of Godly Ministers, both in Boston, and Neighbour-Towns. I coming a­mong them, a Young man, thought it a part both of Modesty and Prudence, not to speak much to the Points, at first, among Strangers and Antients: Untill afterwards, after hearing of many Discourses, in Publick Meetings, and much Private Discourse with the Doctor, I had Learned at length, where all the great Strength of the Doctor [...]ay. And then Observing (by the Strength of Christ) how to avoid such Ex­pressions, as gave him any Advantage, in the Ex­pressions of Others, I began Publickly to Preach and in Private Meetings to Defend, the Doctrine of Gods Eternal Election, before All Fore-sight of Good or Evil, in the Creature; and the Redemp­tion (ex gratia) only of the Elect; the Effectu­al Vocation of a sinner, Per [...]rresist [...]bilem Gratiae Vim, without all Respect of the Preparations of [Page 14] Free-Will; and Finally, the Impossibility of the Fall of a Sincere Believer, either Totally or Fi­nally from a Sate of Grace. Hereupon, when the Doctor had Objected many Things; and heard my Answers to those Scruples, which he was wont most plausibly to urge; presently af­ter, our Publick Feasts, and Neighbourly Meet­ings were Silent, from all further Debates about Predestination, or any of the Points, which de­pend thereupon, and all matters of Religion were carried on Calmly and Peaceably.’

About half a year after Mr. Cotton had been at Boston, thus usefully employ'd, he visited Cambridge, that he might then and there proceed Batchelour of Divinity; which he did: And his Concio ad Clerum▪ on Math. 5. 13. Vos estis Sal Terrae, was highly esteemed by the Judicious. Nor was he less Admired for his very Singular Acuteness, in Disputation, when he answered the Divinity Act in the [...]chools; wherein he had for his Opponent a most A [...]te Antagonist, namely Dr. Chappel, who was afterwards Provost of Trinity-Colledge in Dublin; and one unhappily Successful in promoting the New Pelagianism.

§. 9. Settled now at Boston, his Dear Friend, Holy Mr. Bayns; recommended unto him a Pious Gentlewoman, one Mrs. Elizabeth Horrocks▪ the Sister of Mr. James Horrocks, a Famous Minister in Lancashire, to become his Consort in a Ma [...]yed [Page 15] Estate. And it was Remarkable, that on the very Day of his Wedding, to that Eminently Vir­tuous Gentlewoman, he first Received that As­surance of God's Love unto his own Soul, by the Spirit of God, effectually Applying His Promise of Eternal Grace and Life unto him, which happi­ly kept with him all the Rest of his Dayes: For which cause he would afterwards often say, God made that Day a Day of Double Marriage to me! The Wife which by the Favour of God, he had now Found, was a very Great Help unto him, in the Service of God; but especially upon this, among many other Accounts; That the Peo­ple of her own Sex, observing her more than Ordinary Discretion, Gravity, and Holiness, would still Improve the Freedom▪ of their Address unto her, to acquaint her, with the Exercises of their own Spirits; who acquainting her Husband with convenient Intimations thereof, occasioned him in his Publick Ministry more Particularly and Profitably, to Discourse those things that were of Everlasting Benefit.

§. 10. After he had been three years in Boston, his careful Studies and Prayers brought him to apprehend more of Evil remaining Unreformed in the Church of England, than he had hereto­fore considered; and from this time, he became a Conscientious Non-Conformist, unto the Unscrip­tural, Ceremonies and Constitutions yet mentained [Page 16] by that Church; but such was his Interest in the Hearts of the People, that his Non-Confor­mity instead of being Disturbed, was indeed Em­braced, by the greatest part of the Town. How­ever, at last, Complaints being made against him unto the Bishops-Courts; he was for a while▪ then put under the Circumstances of a Silenced Mini­ster [...] in all which while, he would still give his Presence at the Publick Sermons, though never at the Common Prayers, of the Conformable. He was now offered▪ not only the Liberty of his Ministry, but very great Preferment in it also, if he would but Conform to the Scrupled Rites, though but in One Act, and but for One Time: Nevertheless his Tender Soul, afraid of being thereby Polluted, could not in the least comply with such Temp­tations. A Storm of many Troubles upon him, was now Gathering; but it was very Strangly diverted! For that very man, who had Occa­sioned this Affliction to him, now became hear­tily Afflicted for his own Sin in doing of it; and a Stedfast, Constant, Prudent Friend, Presenting a Pair of Gloves to a Proctor of an Higher Court▪ then appeal'd unto, that Proctor without Mr. Cotton's Knowledge, Swore [...] Animam Domini, that Mr. Cotton was a Conformable man: which things Issued in Mr. Cotton's being Restored unto the Exercise of his Ministry.

§. 11. The Storm of Persecution being thus Blown [Page 17] over, Mr. Cotton enjoyed Rest for many years. In which time he Faithfully employed his great Abilities, not in Gaining, men to this or that Party of Christians, but in Acquainting them with the more Essential and Substantial Points of Christianity. In the space of Twenty years that he lived at Boston, on the Lord's Days in the Afternoons, he Thrice went over the Body of Di­vinity in a Catechistical, way; and gave the Heads of his Discourse to Young Scholars, and others in the Town, that they might answer to his Questions in the Congregation; and the An­swers he opened and applied unto the General Advantage of the Hearers. Whilest he was in this way Handling the Sixth Commandment, the Words of God which he uttered were so Quick and Powerful, that a Woman among his Hearers, who had been Married Sixteen years to a Second Husband, now in Horrour of Conscience, openly Confessed her Murdering her Former Husband by Poison, though thereby the exposed her self to the Extemity of being Burned. In the Forenoons of the Lord's Days, he Preached over the First Six Chapters in the Gospel of John, the whole Book of Ecclesiastes, the Prophesy of Zephaniah, the Pro­phesy of Zechary, and many other Scriptures. When the Lords Supper was Administred, which was once a Month, he Handled the Eleventh Chapter in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, and the Thirteenth Chapter in the Second Book of [Page 18] the Chronicles; and some other pertinent Para­graphs of the Bible. In his Lectures, he went through the whole First and Second Epistles of John; the whole Book of Solomons Song; the Parables of our Saviour to the Seventeenth Chap­ter of Matthew. His House also was full of Young Students; whereof some were sent unto him out of Germany, some out of Holland; but most out of Cambridge. For Dr. Preston, would still Advise his near-fledg'd Pupils, to go live with Mr. Cotton, that they might be fitted for Publick Service; insomuch that it was grown almost a Proverb, That Mr. Cotton, was Dr. Prestons Seasoning Vessel: and of those, that issued found this Learned Family, Famous, and Useful in their Generation, the well known Dr. Hill, was not the least. Moreover he kept a Dayly Lecture in his House, which, as very Reverend Ear-Wit­nesses have expressed it, He performed with much Grace, to the Edification of the Hearers: And unto this Lecture many Pious People in the Town, would constantly resort, until upon a Suspicion of some Inconveniency, which might arise, from the growing Numerousness of his Auditory, he left it off. However, besides his Ordinary Lecture every Thursday, he Preached thrice more; every Week, on the Week-Days; namely on Wednesdays and Thursdays, early in the Morning, and on Sa­ture-Dayes at Three in the Afternoon. And be­sides these Immense Labours, he was frequently [Page 19] Employ'd, on Extraordinary Dayes, kept Pro Teni­po [...]isbus & Causis, whereon he would spend some­times no less than Six Hours, in the Word and Prayer! Fur-thermore, 'twas his Custome, once a year, to visit his Native-Town of Derby, where he was a Notable Exception to the General Rule of, A Prophet without Honour in his own Country; and by his Vigilant Cares, this Town was for many years kept supplied with Able and Faithful Ministers of the Gospel. Thus was this Good man a most Indefatigable Doer of Good.

§. 12. The Good Spirit of God, so Plenti­fully, and Powerfully accompanied the Ministry of this Excellent man, that a Great Reformation was thereby wrought in the Town of Boston. Profaneness was extinguished, Superstition was aban­doned, Religion was Embraced and Practised a­mong the Body of the People; yea, the Mayor with most of the Magistrates were now called P [...]ritans, and the Satanical party, was become Insignificant. As to the matter of Non Conformi­ty, Mr. Cotton was come to Forbear the Ceremo­nies enjoyned in the Church of England; for which he gave this Account. ‘The Grounds were two: First, The Significacy and Efficacy put upon 'em, in the Preface to the Book of Com­mon-Prayer; That they were neither Dumb, nor Dark, but apt to stir up the Dull Mind of Man, to the Remembrance of his Duty to God, by some No­table [Page 20] and Special Signification whereby [...] may be Edified; or Words to the like-purpos [...] [...] Second was the [...] of the Highest Ap [...]stolical Comm [...]ion, to the Observation of the Commandments of Christ Matt. 28.20. Which made it appear to me utterly un­lawful for any Church Power to enjoyn the Ob­servation of Indifferent Ceremonies, which Christ had not commanded: And all the Ceremonies were alike [...] of the Commandment of Christ, though they had been Indifferent other­wise; which, indeed Others have Justly pleaded, they were not.’ But this was not all; For Mr. Cotton was also come to Believe, That Scripture-Bishops were appointed to Rule no larger a Dio­cess, than a Particular Congregation; and that the Ministers of the Lord, with the Keyes of Ecclesi­astical Government, are given by Him to a Con­gregational Church. It hence came to pass that our Lord Jesus Christ, was now Worshiped in Boston, without the use of the Liturgy, or of those Vestments, which are by Zanchy called Execrabile [...] Vestes; yea, the sign of the Cross was laid aside, not only in Baptism, but also in the Mayors Mace, as worthy to be made a Ne [...]ushtan, be­cause it had been so much abused unto Idola­try. And besides all this, there were some Scores of Pious People in the Town, who more exactly formed themselves, into an Evangelical Church-State, by entring into Covenant with God, and [Page 21] with one another, To follow after the Lord, in the Purity of his Worship. However the main Bent and Aim of Mr. Cottons Ministry was, To Preach a Crucified Christ; and the Inhabitants of Boston Observed, that God Blessed them in their Secu­lar Concernments, remarkably the more, through his Dwelling among them: For many Strangers, and some too, that were Gentlemen of Good Quality, Resorted unto Boston, and some Remo­ved their Habitations thither, on his Account; whereby the Prosperity of the Place, was very much promoted.

§. 13. As his Desert of it was very High, so the Respect which he met withal was far from Low. The Best of his Hearers Loved him Great­ly, and the Worst of them Feared him, as Know­ing that he was a Righteous & an Holy man. Yea, such was the Greatness of his Learning, his Wis­dom, his Holiness, that Great Men took no little notice of him. A very Honourable Per­sonage Rode Thirty Miles to see him; and af­terwards professed, That he had as [...] Hear Mr. Cottons Ordinary Exposition in his Family, as any Ministers Publick Preaching that he knew in Eng­land. Whilst he continued in Boston Dr. Preston also would constantly come once a year to visit him; from his Exceeding value for Mr. Cottons Friendship. Arch Bishop Williams did likewise greatly Esteem him, for his Incomparable Parts; [Page 22] and when he was Keeper of the Great Seal▪ he Recommended Mr. Cotton to the Royal Favour. Moverover the Earl of Dorchester and of Lindsey, had much Regard unto him; which Happened partly on this Occasion: The Earl's coming in­to Lincolnshire about the Dreyning of some Fenny Grounds. Mr. Cotton was then in his course of Preaching on Gal. 2. 20. Intending to Preach on the Duties of Living by Faith in Adversity; but considering that those Noble-men were not much Acquainted with Afflictions, he altered his In­tentions, and so ordered it, that when they came to Boston, he Discoursed on the Duties of Living by Faith in Prosperity: When the Noble­men were so much Taken with what they Heard, that they assured him, If at any time, he should want a Friend at Court, They would Improve all their Interest for him. And when Mr. Cotton did Plainly but Wisely Admonish them, of cer­tain Pastimes on the Lords Day, whereby they gave some Scandal, they took it most kindly from him; and promised a Reformation. But none of the Roses cast on this Applauded Actor, Smothered that Humble, that Loving, that Graci­ous Disposition, which was his Perpetual Ornament.

§. 14. At Length, doubtless to Chastise, the Seldom Unchastised Evils of Divisions, crept in among the Christians of Boston, in pleased the God of Heaven to deprive them of Mr. Cottons [Page 23] Ministry, by laying a Tertain Ague upon him, for a year together. But being Invited unto the Earl of Lincoln's, in pursuance to the Advice of his Physicians, that he should change the Air, he removed thither; and thereupon he happily Re­covered. Nevertheless, by the same Sickness he then lost his Excellent Wife; who having liv­ed with him Childless, for Eighteen years, went from him now to be For ever with the Lord: whereupon he travelled further a field, unto Lon­don, and some other Places, whereby the Reco­very of his Lost Health was further perfected. About a year after this, he Practically appeared in Opposition to Tertullianism, by proceeding unto a Second Marriage; wherein one Mrs. Sarah Story, a Virtuous Widow, very Dear to his for­mer Wife, became his Consort; and by her he had both Sons and Daughters.

§. 15. Although our Lord had hitherto made the Discretion and Vigilancy of Mr. Thomas Leveret (afterwards a double Honoured El­der of the Church, in another Land) the hap­py Occasion of Diverting many Designs, to molest Mr. Cotton for his Non Conformity, yet when the Sins of the place had Ripened it, for so Dark a Vengeance of Heaven, as the Removing of this Eminent Light, a Storm of Persecution could no longer be avoided. A Debauch'd Fellow in the Town, who had been punished by the [Page 24] Magistrates for his Debaucheries, Contrived and Resolved a Revenge upon them, for their Justice: and having no more Effectual way to vent the Cursed Malice of his heart, than by bringing them into Trouble at the High Commission Court, up he goes to London, with Informations to that Court, that the Magistrates did not Kneel at the Sacrament, nor observe some other Ceremonies by Law imposed. When some that belonged unto the Court signified unto this Informer, that he must put in the Ministers Name, Nay (said he) the Minister is an Honest man, and never did me any wrong: but it being further pressed upon him, that all his Complaints, would be Insignifi­cant, if the Ministers Name were not in them, he then did put i [...] in: And Letters Missive were dispatched Incontinently, to Convent Mr. Cotton, before the Infamous High Commission Court. But before we Relate, what became of Mr. Cotton, we will enquire, what became of his Accuser? The Renowned Mr. John Rogers of Dedham, having been on his Lecture-Day, just before his going to Preach, Advised, that Mr. Cotton, was brought into this Trouble, he took Occasion, to speak of it in the Sermon, with just Lamen­tations for it; and among others, he used Words to this purpose: As for that man, who hath caused a Faithful Pastor, to be driven from his Flock, he is a Wisp, used by the Hands of God, for the Scowring of his People; But mark the words now spoken by a [Page 25] Minister of the Lord! I am verily perswaded, the Judgments of God, will overtake the Man, that has done this thing: Either he will Die under an Hedge, or something else, more than the Ordinary Death of men shall befall him. Now behold, how this Prediction was accomplished! This miserable man quickly after this, Dy'd of the Plague, un­der an Hedge in Yorkshire; and it was a long Time, e're any could be found, that would Bury him. This 'tis to turn Persecutor!

§. 16. Mr. Cotton, knowing that Letters Missive were out against him, from the High Commission Court; and knowing, that if he ap­peared there, he could expect no other, than to be choaked with such a Perpetual Imprison­ment, as had already Murdered such men as Bates and Udal, he concealed himself as well as he could, from the Raging Pursevants. Ap­plication was made, in the mean time, to the Earl of Dorset, for the Fulfilment of his old Engagement unto Mr. Cotton; and the Earl did indeed intercede for him, untill the Arch-Bishop of Cantebury, who would often Wish, Oh! That I could meet with Cotton! Rendered all his Intercessions both Ineffectual, and Un­seasonable. Hereupon that Noble Person sent Word unto him, that if he had been guilty of Drunkenness, or Uncleanness, or any such Lesser-fault, he could have obtained his Pardon; but [Page 26] inasmuch as he had been Guilty of Non-Con­formity, and Puritanism, the Crime was unpar­donable; and therefore, said he, You must Fly for your Safety! Doubtless, it was from such unhappy Experiments, that Mr. Cotton afterwards Published this Complaint; The Ecclesiastical Courts are like the Courts of the High Priests and Pharisees, which Solomon by a Spirit of Prophecy Styleth, Dens of Lyons, and Mountains of Leopards. And those who have to do with them, have found them Markets of the Sins of the People, the Cages of Uncleanness, the Forges of Extortion, the Tabler­nacles of Bribery, and they have been contrary to the End of Civil Government, which is, The Punishment of Evil Doers, and the Praise of them which do well.

§. 17. Mr. Cotton, therefore, now, with Supplications unto the God of Heaven for His Direction, joined Consultations of Good men on Earth; and among others, he did with some of his Boston Friends, visit Old Mr. Dod, unto whom he laid open the Difficult case now be­fore him, without any Intimation of his Own. Inclination, whereby the Advice of that Holy man, might have been at all forestalled. Mr. Dod upon the whole, said thus unto him; I am Old Peter, and therefore must stand still, and bear the Brunt; but you being Young Peter may go whether you will, and ought, being Persecuted in one City, to Flee unto another! And when the Boston [Page 27] Friends urged, That they would Support and Pro­tect Mr. Cotton, though Privately; and that if he should leave them, very many of them would be ex­posed unto Extreme Temptations; he readily an­swered, That the Removing of a Minister, was like the Draining of a Fish-pond; the Good Fish will follow the Water, but Eeles and other Baggage Fish will stick in the Mud: Which things when Mr. Cotton heard, he was not a little confirmed in his Inclination to leave the Land. Nor did he forget the Concession of Cyprian, That a Seasona­ble Flight, is in Effect▪ A Confession of our Faith; for it is a Profession that our Faith is Dearer un­to us, than All the Enjoyments from which we Flie. But that which is further memorable in this Matter, is, That as the Great God often makes His Truth to spread by the Sufferings of them, that Profess the Truth; Four Hundred were Converted by the Death of one [...]ersecuted Cecilia; And the Scotch Bishop would leave off Burning of the Faithful, because the Smoke of Hamilton infected as many, as it Blew upon; Thus, the Silencing and Removing of Mr. Cotton, which was to him, a thing little short of Martyrdome, was an Occasion of more thorow Repentance in sundry of his Bereaved People, who now began to Consider, that God by taking away their Minister, was Punishing their former Unfruitfulness under the most Fruitful Ministry, which they had thus long [Page 28] Enjoyed. And there was yet another such Effect of the matter, which is now to be Related.

§. 18. To avoid them, that thirsted for his Ruine, Mr. Cotton, travelled under a Chang'd Name and Garb, with a full purpose of going over for Holland; but when he came near the Place; where he would have Shipped himself, he met with a Kinsman, who Vehemently and Effectually perswaded him to Divert into Lon­don. Here the Lord had A Work for him to Do, which he little thought of! Some Re­verend and Renowned Ministers of our Lord in that Great City, who yet had not seen Sufficient Reason to Expose themselves unto Per­secutions for the sake of Non-Conformity, but Look'd upon the Imposed Ceremonies, as Indifferent and Sufferable Trifles, and Weigh'd not the Aspect of the Second Commandment, upon all the Parts and Means of Instituted Worship; took this Op­portunity for a Conference with Mr. Cotton; be­ing perswaded, That since he was, No Passionate, but a very Judicious man, they should prevail with him rather to Conform, than to leave his Work and his Land. Unto the Motion of a Conference Mr. Cotton most readily yielded; and First, all their Arguments for Conformity, toge­ther with Mr. Byfields, Mr. Whatel [...]s and Mr. Sprints, were produced; all of which Mr. Cotton answered, unto their Wonderful Satisfaction. [Page 29] Then, he gave his Arguments for his Non-Con­formity, and the Reasons, why he must ra­ther Forgoe his Ministry, or at least his Country, than Wound his Conscience with unlawful Com­pliances: the issue whereof was, that instead of bringing Mr. Cotton [...] to what he had now for­saken, he brought Them off altogether from what they had hither to practised; Every one of those Eminent Persons, Dr. Goodwin, Mr. Nye, and Mr. Davenport, now became all that he was, and, at last, left the Kingdom for their being so. But Mr. Cotton▪ being now at London, there were Three Places, which offered themselves to him for▪ his Retreat; Holland, Barbad [...]s, and New-England. As for Holland, The Character and Condition which Famous Mr. Hooker had Reported thereof, took off his Intentions of Removing thither. And Barbad [...]s had not near such Encouraging Circumstances, upon the best Accounts, as New-England; where ou [...] Lord Jesus Christ, had a more than Ordinary Thing to be done for His Glory, in an American Wil­derness, and so would send over a more than Ordinary Man, to be employed in the Doing of it. Thither, even to that Religious and Refor­med Plantation, after the Solemnest Applica­tions to Heaven for Direction, this Great Person bent his Resolutions: and Letters procured from the Church of Boston, by Mr. Winthrop the Governour of the Colony, had their Influence on the matter.

[Page 30] §. 19. The God that had carried him through the Fire of Persecution, was now Gra­ciously with him in his Passage through the Water of the Atlantic Ocean; and he enjoyed a Comfortable Voyage over the Great and Wide Sea. There were then, three Eminent Mini­sters of God, in the Ship; namely Mr. Cotton, Mr. Hooker, and Mr. Stone; which Glorious Triumvirate coming together, made the poor Peo­ple in the Wilderness, at their coming, to say, That the God of Heaven had supplied them, with what would in some sort answer their Three Great necessities; Cotton for their Cloath­ing, Hooker for their Fishing, and Stone for their Building: but by one or other of these Three Di­vines in the Ship, there was a Sermon Preached every Day, all the while, they were aboard: Yea, they had Three Sermons, or Expositions, for the most part every Day; Of, Mr. Cotton in the Morning, Mr. Hooker in the Afternoon, Mr. Stone after Supper, in the Evening. And after they had been a Moneth upon the Seas▪ Mr. Cotton received a Mercy, which God had now for Twenty years denyd unto him, in the Birth of his Eldest Son; whom he called Sea-born, in the Remembrance of the never-to-be-Forgotten Blessings, which he thus enjoyed up­on the Seas. But at the end of Seven Weeks, they arrived at New-England, September [...]. in [Page 31] the year 1633. Where he put a Shore at New-Boston, which in a few years by the Smile of God; especially upon the Holy Wisdom, Con­duct and Credit of our Mr. Cotton, upon some Accounts of Growth, came to exceed Old Boston in every thing that Renders a Town Considerable. And it is Remarkable, that his Arrival at New-England, was just after the People there, had been by Solemn Fasting and Prayer seeking unto God, that in as much, as they had been en­gaging to walk with Him in His Ordinances, ac­cording to His Word, He would mercyfully send over to them, such as might be Eyes unto them in the Wilderness, and strengthen them in Dis­cerning and Following of that Word.

§. 20. There were Diverse Churches Gather­ed in the Country, before the Arrival of Mr. Cotton; but upon his Arrival, the Points of Church-Order, were with more of Exactness Re­vived, and Received in them, and further Ob­served in such as were gathered after them. He found the whole Country in a perplexed, and a Divided Estate, as to their Civil Consti­tution, but at the Publick Desires, Preaching a Sermon on those Words Hag. 2. 4. Be Strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be Strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech the High Priest; and be Strong all ye People of the Land, saith the Lord, and Work; for I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts. [Page 32] The Good Spirit of God by that Sermon had a mighty Influence, upon all Ranks of men, in the Infant-Plantation; who from this time, carried on their Affairs▪ with a New-Life, Satis­faction, and Unanimity. It was then, requested of Mr. Cotton; that he would, from the Laws, where-with God Governed His Ancient People, form an Abstract of such as were of a Moral and a Lasting Equity; which he performed, as Ac­ceptably; as Judiciously. But inasmuch as very much or an Athenian Demacracy, was in the Mould of the Government, by the Royal Charter, which was then Acted upon, Mr. Cotton Effectu­ally recommended it unto them, that none should be Electors nor Elected therein, except such as were Visible Subjects of our Lord Jesus Christ; personally Confederated in our Churches. In these, and many other ways, he Propounded unto them, an Endeavour after a Theocracy, as near, as might be, to that which was the Glory of Israel, the Peculiar People.

But the Ecclesiastical Constitution of the Country, was that on which, he Employ'd his Peculiar Cares; and he was one of those Olive Trees, which afforded a Singular measure of Oyl, for the Illumination of our Sanctuary. Now that the World may know the First Principles of New-England, it must be known, That until the Plat­form of Church Discipline, Published by a Synod in the year 1648 and Composed (chiefly) by [Page 33] Mr. Richard Mather, Next unto the Bible, which was the Professed, Perpetual, and only Directo­ry of these Churches; they had no Platform of their Church Government; more Exact, than their famous JOHN COTTONS Well-known Book of, THE KEYES; which Book, Endeavours to lay out the just Lines and Bounds of all Church-Power, and So defines the matter; That as in the State, there is a Dispersion of Powers into Several Hands, which are to Concur in all Acts of Common Concernment; from whence a­rises the Healthy Constitution of a Common-Wealth: in like sort, he assigns the Powers in the Church unto the several Subjects, wherein the United Light of Scripture and of Nature, have placed them, with a very Satisfactory Distribution He Asserts, That a Presbyterated Society of the Faith­ful, hath within it self; a Compleat Power of Self-Reformation, or if you will; of Self-Preserva­tion, and may within it self manage its own Choices of Officers, and Censures of Delinquents. Now, a Special Statute Law of our Lord having Excepted Women and Children from Enjoying any part of this Power, he finds only Elders and Bre­thren to be the Constituent Members, who may Act in such a Sacred Corporation; the Elders he finds the First Subject Entrusted with Government, the Brethren Endowed with Priviledge, insomuch that though the Elders only are to Rule the Church, and without Them, there can be no [Page 34] Elections, Admissions, or, Excommunication [...] ▪ and they have a Negative upon the Acts of the Fra­ternity, as well as 'tis They only that have the Power of Authoritative Preaching, and Administring the Sacraments [...] Yet: the Brethren have such a Liberty, that without their Consent, nothing of Common Con [...]rnment, may be Imposed upon them. Nevertheless because Particular Churches, of Elders and Brethren, may abuse their Power, with manifold miscarriages, he asserts the Ne­cessary Communion of Churches in Synods, who have Authority to Determine, Declare, and Enjoyn, such things as may Rectify the Male Admini­stations, or any Disorders, Dissensions, and Con­fusions, of the Congregations which fall under their Congnizance. But still so, as to leave unto the Particular Churches themselves, the For­mal Acts, which are to be done pursuant unto the Advice of the Council; upon the Scanda­lous and Obstinate Refusal whereof, the Council may Determine, To withdraw Communion from them, as from those who will not be Counsello [...] against a Notorious Mismanagement of the Juris­diction which the Lord Jesus Christ has given them. THIS was the Design of that Judicious Treatise, wherein was contained, the Substance of our Church Discipline; and whereof I have one Remarkable thing to relate as we go along. That Great Person, who afterwards proved one of the Greatest Scholars, Divines, and Writers, in [Page 35] this [...] then under the Prejudices of Conversa­tion, for, himself to Write a Confutation of this very Treatise, OF THE KEYES▪ but having made a Considerable Progress in his Undertak­ing, such was the Strength if this Unanswerable Book, that instead of his Confuting it, it Con­quered him; and this Book of, The Keyes, was happily so Blessed of God for the Conveyance of Congregational-Principles into the now Opened Mind of this Learned man, that he not only Wrote in Defence of Mr. Cotton, but also Exposed himself to more than a little Sorrow and Labour, all his Dayes for the mentaining of those Principles. Upon which Occasion, the Words of the Doctor [OWEN, in his, Review of the true Nature of Schism] are, This way of Im­partial Examining all things by the WORD, and laying aside all Prejudicate Respects, unto Persons, or present Traditions, is a course that I would Ad­monish all to beware of, who would avoid the danger of being made (what they call) Independents. Having said thus much, of that Book, all that I shall a [...]d concerning it, is, That the Eminent Mr. Rutherford himself, in his Treatise, Entituled, A Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, has these Words, Mr. COTTON, in his Treatise of the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven, is Well Sound in our way; if he had given some more Power to Assembles; and in some lesser Points.

[Page 36] §. 21. The Churches now had Rest, and were Edified; and there were daily added unto the Churches, those that were to be Saved. Now, though the poor People were fed with the Bread of Adversity, and the Water of Affliction, yet they counted themselves abundantly compensated by This, That their Eyes might see such Teachers, as were now to be seen among them. The Faith and the Order in the Churches, was gene­rally Glorious, whatever little Popular Confusions, might in some few Places, Eclipse the Glory. But the Warm Sun Shine will produce a Swarm of Insects; whilst matters were going on thus Pros­perously, the Cunning and Malice of Satan, to break the Prosperity of the Churches, brought in a Generation of Hypocrites, who crept in unawares, turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness. A Company of Antinomian and Familistical Secta­ries, were strangely crouded in among our more Orthodox Planters; by the Artifices of which busy Opinionists, there was a Dangerous Blow given, first unto the Faith, and so unto the Peace of the Churches. In the Storm thus Raised, it is Incredible, what Obloquy came to be cast upon Mr. Cotton, as if he had been the Patron of these Destroyers; meeirly because, they, willing to have a Great Person, in Admira­tation, because of Advantage, falsely used the Name of this Great Person, by the Credit thereof to [Page 37] Disseminate and Dissemble their Errors; and because the chief of them in their Private Con­ferences with him, would make such fallacious Professions of Gospel-Truths, that his Christian and Abused Charity, would not permit him to be so Hasty, as many others were, in Censuring of them. However the Report given of Mr. Cotton, on this Occasion, by one Baily a Scotch man, in a most Scandalous Pamphlet, called, A Disswasive, written to cast an Odium on the Churches of New England, by Vilifying him, that was one of their most Eminent Servants, are most hor­rid Injuries. For, there being upon the Encou­ragment of the Success, which the Old Nicene, Constan [...]inop [...]litane, Ephesine and Chalcedonian Coun­cils had, in the Extinguishing of several Successive Heresies, a Council now called at Cambridge, Mr. Cotton after some Debates with the Reverend Assembly, upon some Controverted Points of Justification, most Vigorously Joined with the other Ministers of the Country; in Testifying against the Hateful Doctrines, whereby the Chur­ches had been Troubled. Indeed there did hap­pen Paroxysms in this Hour of Temptation, between Mr. Cotton and some other Zealous and worthy Persons, which though they did not amount unto the Heat and Heighth, of those that happened between Chrysostom and Epiphanius, or between Hierom and Ruffinus, yet they Inclined him to me­ditate a Removal into another Colony. But a [Page 38] certain Scandalous Writer, having Publickly Re­proached Mr. Cotton, with his former Inclination to Remove, there was thereby provoked his Pub­lick and Patient Answer; which being a Sum­mary Narrative of this whole Business, I shall here transcribe it.

‘There was a Generation of Familists, in our own and other Towns, who under Pretence of Holding forth, what I had taught, Touching Union with Christ, and Evidencing that Union, did Secretly vent Sundry and Dangerous Er­rors and Heresies, denying all Inherent Righte­ousness, and all Evidencing of a Good Estate there­by in any sort, and some of them also Deny­ing, the Immortality of the Soul, and the Resur­rection of the Body. When they were question­ed by some Brethren about those things, they carried it, as if they had Held forth nothing, but what they had Received from me: where­of, when I was Advised, to cleer my self, I Publickly Preached against those Errors. Then, said the Brethren to the Erring Party, See, Your Teacher declares himself cleerly to differ from you▪ No matter (say the other) what he saith in Pub­lick, we understand him otherwise, and we know what he saith to us in Private. Yea, and I my self could not easily Believe that those Er­ring Brethren and Sisters, were so Corrupt in their Judgments as they were Reported; they seeming to me forward Christians, and utterly [Page 39] Denying any such Tenants, or any thing else but what they received from my self. All which bred in Sundry of the Country, a Jea­lousy, that I was in Secret, A Fomentor of the Spirit of Familism, if not Leavened my self that way. Which I discerning, it wrought in me, thoughts (as it did in many other sincerely Godly Brethren of our Church) not of a Se­paration from the Churches, but of a Removal to Newhaven, as being better known to the Pastor, and some others there, than to such as were, at that time Jealouse of me here. The true Ground whereof was an Inward Loathness to be Troublesome unto Godly Minds, and a Fear of the Unprofitableness of my Ministry there, where my way was suspected to be Doubtful and Dangerous. I chose therefore rather to meditate a Silent Departure, in Peace, than by Tarrying here, to make way for the Breaking forth of Temptations. But when, at the Synod, I had discovered the Corruption of the Judge­ment of the Erring Brethren, and saw their Fraudulent pretence of Holding forth no other, but what they received from me (when as in­deed they pleaded for Gross Errors contrary un­to my Judgment) I thereupon did bear Witness against them; and when in a private Confe­rence with some Chief Magistrates, and Elders, I perceived, that my Removal upon such Diffe­rences was Unwelcome to them, and that such [Page 40] Points needed nor to Occasion any Distance (neither in Place no [...] in Heart [...]y) amongst Bre­thren, I then Rested Satisfied in my Abode amongst, them; and so have Continued, by the Grace of Christ, unto this Day.’

Tis true, such was Mr. Cottons Holy Ingenuity, that when he perceived the Advantage, which Erroneous and Heretical Persons in his Church, had, from his Abused Charity; taken to spread their Dangerous Opinions; before [...]he was awa [...]t of them, he did Publickly sometimes with Tea [...]s bewail it▪ That the Enemy had sown so many Tares whilest be had been Asleep. Nevertheless tis as true, that nothing ever could be Baser than they Dis­ingen [...]i [...]y of those Pamphlet [...]eers, who took Ad­vantage hence, to catch these Tears in their Vene­mous Ink horns, and employ them for so many Blots upon the Memory, of a Righteous Man, worthy to be had in Everlasting Remembrance.

§. 22. When the Virulent and Violent Ed­wards, had been after a most Unchristian manner, bespattering the Excellent Burroughs, That Reviled Saint, in his Answer, had that Passage; The Ex­treme, Eagerness of some to asperse our Names, makes us to think, that God hath made more use of our Names, than we were aware of,—We see by their Anger even almost to Madness, bent that way, that they had little Hope, to prevail with all their Arguments against the Cause we profess, till [Page 41] they could get down our Esteem (such as it was) in the Hearts of the People—But our Names are not in the Power of their Tongues and Pens; they are in the Hands of God, who will Preserve them so far, as he hath use of them; and further, we shall have no use of them our selves. That Bitter Spirit in Baily, must for such causes expose the Name of the Incomparable Cotton unto Irreparable Injuries: For, from the meer Hear says of that Unchari­table Writer, hastily Published unto the World, the Learned and Worthy Dr. Hoornbeck, not much less against the Rules of Charity, Printed a Short Account of Mr. Cotton, whereof an Inge­nious Author truly sayes, There were in it, Quot fere Verba; tot Errores famosissimi; neque tantum quot Capita, tot Carpenda, sed quot fore Sententiaru [...] punctula, tot Dispungenda. That Scandalous Ac­count, it is Pity, it should be Read in English, and greater Pity that ever that Reverend Person, should make it be Read in Latin; but this it was; Cottonus, horrore Ordinis Episcopalis, in Aliud Extremum prolapsus, Omnia plebi absque Vinculo Ec­clesiarum concedebat.—Cottonus iste, primum in Anglia, alteri [...]s Longe Sententiae fuerat, unde, et plurimorum Errorum Heresiumque Reus, Maximu [...] Ordinis istius, vel potius ATAXIAS, promotor [...] extitit; habuitque secum, quemadmodum Montanus olim Maximillam, Saam Hutchinsonam, de qua, vari [...] & prodigiosa multa referunt. From these miserable Historians▪ who would Imagine what [Page 42] a Slur has been abroad cast upon the Name of as Holy, as Learned, as Orthodox, and Emi­nent a Servant of our Lord, in his Reformed Chur­ches, as was known in his Age! Among the Rest, it is particularly Observable how a Labo­rious and Ingenious Forreigner, in his Bibliotheca Anglorum Theologica, having in his Index mentioned a Book of this our Mr. Cottons, under the Style of Johannis Cottoni, Via Vitae, Liber Utilissimus, pre­sently adds, Alius Johannes Cottonus malae Notae Homo: whereas 'twas only by the Misrepresentati­ons of Contentious and Unadvised men, that John Cotton, the Experimental Author, of such an Use­ful Book, must [...]e branded with a Note of Infamy. But if the Reader will deal justly, he must joyn these Gross Calumnies upon Cotton, with the Fables of Luthers Devil, Zuinglius's Dreams, Gal­vin's Brands, and Junius's Cloven-Foot. If Hoorn­beck ever saw Cottons mild, but full Reply to Baily, which as the Good Spirited Beverly sayes, would have been esteemed a Sufficient Refutation of all these wretched Slanders, Nisi Fratrum quo­rundam aures erunt ad veritatem, tanquam Aspidum, obtura [...]ae, tis Impossible to excuse his wrongful Dealings with a Venerable Minister of our Lord! Pray, Sir, charge not our Cotton, with an Horror Ordinis Episcopalis; until you have chastised your Friend Honorius Reggius, that is Georgius Hor­nius, for telling us, as Voetius quotes it; Multo­rum Animos Subiit Recordatio illius, quod Venerabilis [Page 43] Beza, non sine Prophetiae Spiritu, olim rescripsit Knoxo, Ecclesiae Scoticae Reformatori: Sicut E­piscopi Papatum pepererunt, ita Oculis poene ipsis jam cernitur, Pseudo-Episcopos, papatus Reliquias, Epicureismum Terris Invecturos. Atque haec prae­mittere Visum, ut eo manifestius esset Britanniam diutius Episcopos non potuisse ferre, nisi in Papis­mum & Atheismum Labi vellet. Charge not our Cotton with an, Omni [...] Plebi absque Vinculo Aliarum Ecclesiarum concedebat; until, besides the whole Scope and Scheme of his Ecclesiasti­cal Writings, which allow no more still unto the Fraternity, than Parker, Ames, Cartwright; and advance no other than that Aristocrasie, that Beza, Zanchy, Whitaker, Bucer and Blondel pleaded for; you have better construed his Words in his Golden Preface to Nortons Answer unto the Sylloge Quaes [...]i [...]num, Neque nos Regimen proprie dictum, alibi quam penes Presbyteros stabi­liendum Cupimus: Convenimus ambo in Subjecto Regiminis Ecclesiastici: Convenimus etiam in Re­gula Regiminis, ut Administrentur Omnia Juxta Canonem Sacrarum Scripturarum: Convenimus etiam in Fine Regiminis, ut Omnia Transigantur ad Edificationem Ecclesiae, non ad Pompam aut Luxum Seculare [...]: Synodos nos, una Vobiscum, cum opus fuerit, et Suscipimus & veneramur. Quan­tillum est, quod Restat, quod Distat! Actus Regiminis, quos vos a Synodis peragi Velletis, [...]os a Synodis porrigi Ecclesits, et ab Ecclesi [...]s, ex [Page 44] Synodali DIORTHOSEI peragi peteremus. Charge not our Cotton with an, ATAXIAS Promotor Extitit, until you, your self, Doctor, have Revoked your own two Concessions, which are all the Ataxies that ever could, with so much as the least Pretence, be im­puted unto this Renowned Person; Ecclesia particularis quaelibet Subjectum est Adaequatum & proprium plen [...] potestatis▪ Ecclesiasticae; nec Congrue dicitur ejus a Synodo Dependentia, And, Neque enim Synodi in alias Ecclesias potestatem habent Imperantem, quae Superiorum est, in Inferiores sibi Subditos; Non-Communionis Sententia Potestatem Summam denotat. As for the, Cottonus Plur [...]mo­rum Errorum Hoeresiumque Reus, were Old Austin alive, he would have charged no less a Crime than that of Sacriledge upon the Man, that thus without all Colour, should Rob the Church of a Name which would justly be Dear unto it; for as the Great Caryl hath expressed it, The Name of Cotton is as an Oyntment poured forth. But for the Top of all these Calumnies, Cottoni Hutchinsona, instead of a Resemblance therein to Montani Maximilla, the truer Comparison would have been, Mulier ista, quae per Calum­niam notissimam Objiciebatur Athanasio; All the Favour, which that Prophetess of Thyatira had from this Angelical Man, was the same, that the provoked Paul show'd unto the Pythoniss. In fine, The Histories, which the World has had of [Page 45] the New-English Churches, under the Influence of Mr. Cotton, I have sometimes thought much of a piece, with what we have in the Old Histories of Lysimachus; That when a Leprous, and Scabby fort of a People were Driven out of Egypt, into the Wilderness, there was a certain man call'd Moses, who counselled them to March on in a Body, till they came to some Good Soyl. This Moses commanded them to be Kind unto no man; To give Bad Advice rather than Good, upon all Occasions; and to Destroy as many Temples as they could find; So, after much Travail, and Trouble, they came to a Fruitful Soyl, where they did all the Mis­chief that Moses had recommended, and built a City, which was, at first, called Hier [...]syla, from the spoiling of the Temples: but afterwards, to shun the Disgrace of the Occasion, they changed it into Hierosolyme, and bore the Name of Hierosolymitans. But thus must a Bad Report, as well as a Good Report follow such a man as Mr. Cotton, whose only Fault af­ter all, was that, with which, that memora­ble Ancient Nazianzen was taxed sometimes; namely, the Fault of Mansuetude.

§. 23. These Clouds being thus happily blown over, the Rest of his Dayes were spent in a more settled Peace; and Mr. Cottons Grow­ing and Spreading Fame, like Josephs Bough, Ran [Page 46] over the Wall of the Anlantic Ocean, unto such a Degree, that in the year 1641. Some Great Persons in England, were intending to have sent over a Ship, on purpose to fetch him o­ver, for the sake of the Service, that such a Man as He, might then Do to the Church of God, then, Travelling in the Nation. But al­though their Doubt of his Willingness to Remove, caused them to forbear that Method of obtain­ing him, yet the Principal Members in both Houses of Parliament Wrote unto him, with an Importunity for his Return into England; which had prevailed with him, if the Dismal Showres of Blood, quickly after breaking upon the Na­tion, had not made such Afflictive Impressions upon him, as to prevent his purpose. He continued, therefore, in Boston, unto his Dying Day; Counting it a great Favour of Heaven un­to him, that he was Delivered from, the Unset­tledness of Habitation, which was not among the least of the Calamities, that Exercised the A­postles of our Lord. Nineteen Years and odd Months, he spent in this Place, doing of Good, Publickly, and Privately, unto all sorts of men, as it became, a Good Man, full of Faith, and of the Holy Ghost. Here in an Expository way, he went over the Old Testament once, and a Second Time as far as the Thirtieth Chapter of Isaiah; and the whole New Testament, once, and a Second time, as far as the Eleventh Chapter to the He­brews. [Page 47] Upon Lord's-Dayes, and Lecture-Dayes, he Preached thorow the Acts of the Apostles; the Prophesies of Haggai, and Zechariah; the Books of Ezra, the Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, the Second and Third Epistles of John [...] the Epistle to Titus, both Epistles to Timothy; the Epistle to the Romans; with Innumerable other Scrip­tures on Incidental Occasions. Though he had also, the most Remarkable Faculty, perhaps of any man living, to Meet every Remarkable Oc­casion, with pertinent Reflections, what ever Text, he were upon, without ever wandring out of sight from his Text: and it is possible there might sometimes be a particular Operation of Providence, to make the Works, and Words of God, meet in the Ministry of this His Holy Servant. But thus did he Abound in the Works of the Lord!

§. 24. At Length, upon Desire, Going to Preach a Sermon at Cambridge, (which he did, on Isa. 54. 13. Thy Children shall be all Taught of the Lord; and from thence gave many Excellent Counsils, unto the Students of the Colledge there) he took Wet, in his Passage over the Ferry; but he presently felt the Effect of it, by the falling of his Voice in Sermon time; which ever until now, had been a clear, neat, audible Voice, and easily-heard in the most Capacious Auditory. Being found So Doing, as it had often been his De [...]l7rarod Wish, That he [Page 48] might not out live his Work! his Illness went o [...] to an Inflammation in his Lungs; from whence he grew somewhat Asthmatical; but there was a Complication of other Scorbutic Affects, which put him under many Symptoms of his approach­ing End. On the Eighteenth of November, he took in Course for his Text, the Four Last Verses of the Second Epistle to Timothy, giving this Reason for his Insisting on so many Verses at once, Because else (he said) I shall not Live to make an End of this Epistle; but he chiefly Insisted on those Words, Grace be with you all. Upon the Lords Day following, he Preached his Last Sermon, on Joh 1. 14. About that Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, from the Faith to the Sight whereof, he was now Hastening. After this in that Study, which had been Perfumed with many such Dayes before, he now spent a Day in Secret Humiliations and Supplications, before the Lord; seeking the Special Assistences of the Holy Spirit, for the Great Work of Dying, that was now before him. What Glorious Transactions might one have Heard passing between the Lord Jesus Christ, and an Excellent Servant of His, now coming unto Him, if he could have had an Hearing Place behind the Hangings of the Cham­ber, in such a Day! But having finished the Duties of the Day, he took his Leave of his Beloved Study, saying to his Consort, I shall Go into that Room, no more! And he had all along [Page 49] Presages in his Heart, that God would by his Present Sickness, give him an Entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore, Setting his House in Order, he was now so far from unwilling to Receive the Mercy-Stroke of Death, as that he was Desirous to be with Him, With whom to be, is, by far, the Best of All. And although the chief Ground of his Readiness to be Gone, was from the unutter­ably Sweet and Rich Entertainments, which he did by Fore-tast, as well as by Promise, know that the Lord had Reserved in the Heavenly Regions for him, yet he said, it contributed unto this Readiness in him, when he consider'd the Saints, whose Company and Communion he was Going unto; Particularly Perlins, Ames, Preston, Hildersham, Dod, and others, which had been peculiarly Dear unto himself; besides the Rest, in that General Assembly.

§. 25. While he thus Lay Sick, the Ma­gistrates, the Ministers, of the Country, and Christians of all Sorts, Resorted unto him, as unto a Publick Father, full of sad Apprehensions, at the withdraw of such a Publick Blessing; and the Gracious Words, that Proceeded out of his Mouth, while he had Strength to utter the pro­fitable Conceptions of his Mind, caused them to Reckon these their Visits, the Gainfullest that [...]ver they had made. Among others, the then [Page 50] President of the Colledge, with many Tears, de­sired of Mr. Cotton, before his Departure, to bestow his Blessing on him; saying, I know in my Heart, they whom you Bless, shall be Blessed. And not long before his Death, he sent for the Elders of the Church, whereof, he himself was also an Elder; who, having, according to the Aposto­lical Direction, Pray [...]d over him, he Exhorted them to Feed the Flock over which they were Over­seers, and encrease their Watch against those De­clensions, which he saw the Professors of Religion, Falling into: Adding, I have now, through Grace, been more than Forty years a Servant unto the Lord Jesus Christ, and have ever found Him a good Master. When his Collegue Mr. Wilson, took his Leave of him, with a Wish, that God would Lift up the Light of His Countenance upon him, he instantly Replyed, God hath done it already, Bro­ther! He then, called for his Children, with whom he left the Gracious Covenant of God, as their never Failing Portion: and now desired, that he might be left Private, the Rest of his Minutes, for the more Freedom of his Applica­tions unto the Lord. So, Lying Speechless a few Hours, he Breathed his Blessed Soul into the Hands of his Heavenly Lord; on the Twenty third of December 1652. Entring on the Sixty Eighth year of his own Age: And on the Day, yea, at the Hour, of his constant Weekly Labours in the Lecture, wherein, he had been so long [Page 51] Serviceable, even to all the Churches of New-England. Upon Tuesday the Twenty eighth of December, he was most Honourably Interred, with a most Numerous Concourse of People, and the most Grievous and Solemn Funeral, that was ever known perhaps upon the American Strand; and the Lectures in his Church, the whole Win­ter following, performed by the Neighbouring Ministers, were but so many Funeral-Sermons, upon the Death and Worth of this Extraordinary Person: Among which, the First, I think, was Preached by Mr. Richard Mather, who gave unto the bereaved Church of Boston, this great Cha­racter of their Incomparable COTTON, Let us Pray, that God would Raise up some Eleazer to Succeed this Aaron: But you can hardly Expect, that so large a Portion of the Spirit of God should dwell in any one, as dwelt in this Blessed man! And ge­nerally in the other Churches through the Coun­try, the Expiration of this General Blessing to them all, did Produce Funeral-Sermons full of Honour and Sorrow; even as many Miles above an Hun­dred, as Newhaven was distant for the Massachu­set-Bay, when the Tidings of Mr. Cottons Decease arrived there, Mr. Davenport, with many Tears bewailed it, in a Publick Discourse on that in a Sam. 1. 26. I am Distressed for thee, my Brother Jonathan, very Pleasant hast thou been unto me. Yea, They speak of Mr. Cotton in their Lamentations to this Day!

[Page 52] §. 26. How vast a Treasure of Learning [...] laid in the Grave, which was opened, on this, Oc­casion, can Scarce Crediby and Sufficiently be Re­lated. Mr. Cotton, was, indeed, a most Universe Scholar, and a Living System of the Liberal [...] and a Walking Library. It would be Endless [...] Recite, all his particular Accomplishments, [...] only Three Articles of Observation, shall [...] offered. First, For his Grammar, he had a very Singular Skill in those Three Languages, th [...] Knowledge whereof was by the Inscription o [...] the Cross of our Saviour, proposed unto the Per­petual Use of his Church. The Hebrew he un­derstood so exactly, and so readily, that [...] was able to Discourse in it. In the Greek, he was a Cri [...]ick, so Accurate, and so Well-Versed, th [...] he needed not, like Austin, to have Studied [...] in his Reduced Age. Thus, i [...] many of the An­cients committed Gross mistakes, in their Inter­pretations of the Scriptures, through their want skill in the Originals, Mr. Cotton, was [...] Qualified for an Interpreter. He both Wrote Spoke Latin also with great Facility; and with most Ciceroman Elegancy, Exemplified in [...] Published Composure. Next, for his Logic, [...] was compleatly furnished therewith to Encoun­ter the Subtilest Adversary of the Truth. [...] although he had been Educated in the Per [...] patetick way, yet like the other Puritans of the [Page 53] times, he rather affected the Romaean Discipline; and chose to follow the Methods of that Ex­cellent Ramus, who like Justin of old, was not only a Philosopher, but a Christian, and a Martyr also; rather than the more Empty, Trifling, Altercative Notions, to which the Works of the Pagan A­ristotle derived unto us, through the Mangling Hands of the Apostate Porphyrie, have Disposed his Disciples. Lastly, for his Theologie, There 'twas that he had his Greatest Ex [...]ordinariness, and most of all, his Textual Divinity. His Abilities to Expound the Scriptures, caused him to be Ad­mired by the Ablest of his Hearers. Although his Incomparable Modesty would not permit him to speak any more than the Least of Himself, yet unto a private Friend he hath said, That he knew not of any Difficult Place in all the whole Bible, which [...]e had not weighed, somewhat unto Satisfaction. And hence, though he Ordinarily bestowed much pains upon his Publick Sermons, yet he hath some­times Preached most Admirably, without any Warning at all; and a New Note upon a Text [...]fore him, occurring to his mind, but just as he was going into the Assembly, has taken up his Discourse for that Hour, so Pertinently and Judiciously, that the most Critical of his Auditors, imagined nothing Extemporaneous. Indeed his Library was vast, and vast was his Acquaintance with it; but although amonst his Readings, he had given a Special Room, unto the Fathers, and [Page 54] unto the School-men, yet, at last, he preferr'd one Calvin among them all. If Erasmus, when offered a Bishoprick to Write against Luther could answer, There was more Divinity in a [...] of Luther, than in all Thomas Aquinas; T [...] no wonder that Salmasius could so Venera [...] Calvin, as to say, That he had rather be [...] Author of that One Book, The Institutions written by Calvin, than have written all that was ev [...] done by Gro [...]i [...]s. Even such a Calvinist [...] our Cotton! Said he, I have read the Fathers [...] the School men, and Calvin too; but I find, Th [...] he that has Calvin, has 'em all. And being asked why in his Latter Dayes, he Indulged Noctur [...] Studies, more than formerly, he pleasantly Re­plied, Because I Love to Sweeten my mouth with piece of Calvin, before I go to sleep.

§. 27. Indeed in his Common Preaching, did as Basil reports of Ephrem Syrus, Pluri [...] distare a Mundana Sapientia; and though were a Great Scholar, yet he did Conscientious forbear making to the Common People any Osten­tation of it. He had the Art of Concealing Art; and thought with Sohnius, Non minus Virtus Populariter quam Argute Loqui, and [...] Dod, That Latin for the most part was Flesh in Sermon. Accordingly, when he was Handle the Deepest Subjects, a Speech of that Import [...] frequent with him, I desire to speak so, as to [Page 55] understood by the meanest Capacity! And he would sometimes give the same Reason for it, which the Great Austin gave, If I Preach more Scholasti­cally, then only the Learned, and not the Unlearned, can so Understand as to Profit by me; but if I Preach plainly, then both Learned, and Unlearned, will un­derstand me, and so I shall profit all. When a Golden Key of Oratory would not so well open a Mystery of Christianity, he made no stick to take an Iron One, that should be less Rhetorical. You should hear few Terms of Art, few Latinities, no Exotic or Obsolete Phrases, obscuring of the Truths, which he was to bring unto the People of God. Nevertheless his more Judicious and Observing Hearers, could by his most Untrim'd Sermons perceive that he was a man of more than Ordinary Abilities. Hence when a Dutch­man of Great Learning, heard Mr. Cotton Preach at Boston, in England, he professed, That he never in his Life saw such a Conjunction of Learning and Plainness, as there was in the Preaching of this wor­thy man. The Glory of God, and not his own Glory, was that, at which he aimed in his Labours; for which cause, at the End of his Notes, he still Inserted that Clause, Tibi Domi [...]e: Or, For thy Glory, O God! For his Delivery, though it were not like Farels, Noisy and Thundring, yet it had in it a very awfull Majesty, set off with a Na­tural and Becoming Motion of his Right Hand; and the Lord was in the Still Voice at such a Rate, [Page 56] that Mr. Wilson would say, Mr. Cotton Preaches with such Authority; Demonstration, and of Life, that methinks, when he Preaches out of any Prophet, or A­postle, I hear not him; I hear that very Prophet & Apostle; yea, I hear the Lord Jesus Christ Himself speaking in my Heart. And the Success which God gave to these Plain Labours, of His Faith­ful, Humble, Deligent Servant, was beyond what most Ministers in the Country ever did Experience; There have been Few that have seen so many and mighty Effects, given to the Travels of their Souls.

§. 28. He was even from his Youth to his Age, an Indefatigable Student, under the Consci­ence of the Apostolical Precept, Be not Sloath­ful in Business; but Fervent in Spirit Serving the Lord. He was careful to Redeem his Hours, as well as his Dayes; and might lay claim to that Character of the Blessed Martyr, Sparing of Sleep, more Sparing of Words, but most Sparing of Time. If any came to visit him, he would be very Civil to 'em, having Learn'd it as his Duty, To use all Gentleness towards all Men: and yet he would often say with some Regret, after the Departure of a Visitant, I had rather have given this Man an Handfull of Money, than have been kept, thus long, out of my Study: Reckoning with Pliny▪ The Time not spent in Study for the most part, Sweel'd away. For which cause, he went not [Page 57] much Abroad; but he judged Ordinarily that more Benefit was obtain'd, according to the Ad­vice of the Wise King, by conversing with the Dead [in Books] than with the Living [in [...]alks:] and that Needless Visits do commonly Unframe our Spirits, and perhaps disturb our Comforts. He was an Early Riser, taking the Morning for the Muses; and in his Latter Dayes forbearing a Supper, he turn'd his former Supping-Time, into a Reading, a Thinking, a Praying-Time. Twelve-Hours in a Day he commonly Studied, and would call that, A Scholars-Day; resolving to wear out rather with Using, than with Rusting. In Truth, had he not been of an Healthy and Hearty Constitution, and had he not made a Careful though not Curious Diet serve him, in­stead of an Hippocrates, his continued Labour must have made his Life, as well as his Labour, to have been but of a Short Continuance. And, indeed, the Work which lay upon him, could not have been performed, without a Labour more than Ordinary: For besides his constant Preach­ing more than Once, every Week, many Cases were brought unto him far and near, in Resol­ving whereof, as he took much Time, so he did much Good: being a most Excellent Casuist. He was likewise very Deeply concerned in Peace­able and Effectual Disquisitions of the Contro­versies about Church-Government, then Agitated in the Church of God. And though he chiefly [Page 58] gave himself to Reading and Doctrine and Exhor­tation, depending much on the Ruling Elders to Inform him, concerning the State of his Particu­lar Flock, that he might the Better Order him­self in the Word and Prayer, yet he found his Church-Work, in this Regard also, to call for no little Painfulness, Watchfulness, and Faithfulness.

§. 29. He was One so Clothed with Humi­lity, that according to the Emphasis of the Apo­stolical Direction, by this Livery his Relation as a Disciple to the Lowly Jesus, was notably dis­covered; and hence he was Patient and Peacea­ble, even to a Proverb. He had a more than Common Excellency in that Cool Spirit, which the Oracles of Wisdom describe as, The Excel­lent Spirit in the Man of Understanding; and there­fore Mr. Norton would parallel him, with Moses among the Patriarchs, with Melancthon among the Reformers. He was rather Excessive, than Defective in Self-Denial, and had the Nimia Humilitas, which Luther sometimes blamed in Staupicius: yea, he was, at last, himself sensible that some fell very Deep into the Sin of Corah, through his Extreme Forbearance, in matters re­lating to his own Just Rights in the Church of God. He has, to a Judicious Friend, thus ex­pressed himself, Angry men have an Advantage above me; the People dare not set themselves against such men, because they know, it wont be born; but [Page 59] some care not what they say or do about me, because they know I went be angry with them again. One would have thought the Ingenuity of such a Spi­rit should have broke the Hearts of Men, that had indeed, the Hearts of Men in them; yea, that the hardest Flints would have been broken, as is usual, upon such a Soft Bag of Cotton! But, alas! he found it otherwise, even among Some, who pretended unto High Attainments in Christianity. Once particularly, an Humourous and Imperious Brother, following Mr. Cotton home to his House, after his Publick Labours, instead of the Grateful Respects with which these Holy Labours, were to have been encouraged, Rudely told him, that his Ministry was become Generally, either Dark, or Flat: whereto this Meek man, very mildely and gravely, made only this Answer, B [...]th, Bro­ther, it may be, both; Let me have your Prayers that it may be otherwise! But it is Remarkable, that the Man Sick thus, of Wanton Singularities, afterwards Dyed of those Damnable Heresies, for which he was deservedly Excommunicated Another time, when Mr. Cotton had modestly Replyed unto one that would much Talk and Crack of his Insight into the Revelations; Brother I must confess my self to want Light in those Mysteries the man went home, and sent him A Pound [...] Candles; upon which Action, this Good Ma [...] bestowed only a Silent Smile; he would not [...] the Becon of his Great Soul on Fire, at the Lan [...] ­ing [Page 60] of such a Little Cock-boat. He Learned the Lesson of Gregory, It is better, many times, to fly from an Injury by silence, than to overcome it by Re­plying; and he used that Practice of Grynaeus, To Revenge Wrongs, by Christian Taciturinty. And it may pass for a Branch of the same Temper in him, That he extremely hated all Allotri [...]-Episco­pacy, and though he knew, as practically, as most men in the World, That we have a Call to do Good, as often as we have Power & Occasion, yet he was very Slow of Apprehending any Occasion of meddling At all, though he might have had never so much Power to meddle For Good, any where but within the Sphere of his own proper Calling. As he understood that Leontius blamed Constantine, for Interposing too far in Ecclesiastical Affairs, thus Mr. Cotton, on the Other side had a Great Aversion from Engaging in any Civil Ones; he would Religiously Decline taking into his Cognisance all Civil Controversies or Um­pirages, and whatever Looked Heteroge [...]ous to the Calling of One, whose whole Business 'twas, To Feed the Flock of God. Nevertheless in the Things of God, of Christ, of Conscience, his Condesending Temper did not hinder him, from he most Immoveable Resolution. He would not [...] Follow Peace with all men, as to abandon or rejudice, one Jot, the Interests of Holiness.

§. 30. His Command over his own Spirit, was [Page 61] particularly Observable in his Government of his Family, where he would never Correct any thing in a Passion; but, first, with much Deliberation show what Rule, in the Holy Word of God, had been Violated, by the Fault lately committed. He was, indeed, one that Ruled well his own House! He therein Morning and Evening, Read a Chap­ter, with a Little Applicatory Exposition, before and after which, he made a Prayer; but he was very Short in all, accounting as Mr. Dod, Mr. B [...]ins, and other great Sainte [...] [...]id before him, That it was a Thing inconvenient [...] wayes to be Tedious in Family Duties. He also Read constantly a Portion of the Scripture alone, and he Prayed over what he Read; Pray'd, I say; For he was very much in Prayer, a very Man of Prayer; he would rarely sit down to Study; without a Prayer over it, referring to the Presence of God, accompanying what he did. It was the Advice of the Ancient, Si vis esse Semper [...] De [...], Sem­per Ora, Semper Lege; and agreeably hereunto, Mr. Cotton might say with David, Lord, I am still with Thee! But he that was with God, all the Week, was more Intimately with Him, on His Own Day, the Chief Day of the Week; which he Observed most Conscientiously. The Sab­bath, he began, the Evening Before; for which Keeping of the Sabbath from Evening to Evening, he Wrote Arguments before his coming to New-England; and I Suppose, 'twas from his Reason [Page 62] and Practice, that the Christians of New-England have Generally done so too. When that Even­ing arriv'd, he was usually Larger in his Expo­sition in his Family, than at other times; He then Catechised his Children and Servants, and Prayed with them, and S [...]ng a Psalm; from thence he Retired unto Study, and Secret Prayer, till the Time of his going unto his Repose. The next Morning, after his Usual F [...]mily-Worship, he betook himself to the Devotions of his Retirements [...] so unto the Publick. From thence tow [...] Noon, he Repaired again to the like Devotions, not permitting the Inter­ruption of any other Dinner, than that of a small Repast carried up unto him. Then to the Publick, once more; from whence Returning, his first Work was Cl [...]set-P rayer, then Prayer with Repetitions of the Sermons in the Family. After Supper he still Sang a Psalm; which he would conclude with Uplifted Eyes and Hands, uttering this Doxology,—Blessed [...]e God in Christ, our Saviour! Last of all, just before his going to Sleep, he would once again go into his Prayerful Study, and there Briefly Recommend All to that God, Whom he Served with a Pure Conscience. These were his Ordinary Sabbaths. But he also kept Extraordinary Ones, upon the Just Occasions for them. He was in Fasting often, and would often keep whole Dayes by Himself, wherein he would with Solemn Hu­miliations [Page 63] and Supplications Implore the Wanted Mercys of Heaven: yea, he would likewise, by himself, keep whole Dayes of Thanksgiving unto the Lord: besides the many Dayes of this Kind, which he Celebrated in Publick Assem­blies with the People of God. Thus did this Man of God Continually!

§. 31. Without Liberality and Hospitality, he had been Really as Underserving of the Character of a Minister of the Gospel, as the Sa­crilegious Niggardliness of the People dos [...] often endeavour to make Ministers Uncapable of answer­ing that Character. But Mr. Cotton was most Exemplary for this Virtue; wherein there are of his Children, that have also Learned of him. The Stranger and the Needy were still Enter­tained at his Table, Episcopaliter & Benigne, as was the Phrase Instructively used for a, Cha­ritable Entertainment, of old. It might be said of him, as once it was of the Generous Cor­inthian, Semper Aliquis in Cottoni Domo, He was ever Shewing of Kindness to Some-body or o­ther. What Posidonius relates of Austin, and what Peter Martyr affirms of Bucer, was very true of our Cotton; His House was like an Inn, for the Constant Entertainment, which he gave upon the Account of the Gospel; and he would say, If a man want an Heart for this Charity, it is not fit, such a Man should be Ordained a Minister: con­senting [Page 64] therein to the Great Canonist, Hospitali­tas usque adeo Episcopis est Necessaria, at si ab ea inveniantur alieni, Jure prohibentur Ordinari. While he lived Quietly in England, he was noted for his Bountiful Disposition; especially towards Mi­nisters driven into England, by the Storms of Persecution then Raging in Germany; for which cause Libingus, Saumer, Tolner, and others of the Germane Sufferers, in their Accounts of him, would Style him, Fautor Doctissimus, Cla­rissimus, Fidelissimas, plarimumque Honorandus. It was Remarked, that he never omitted Inviting unto his House any Minister Travelling to or through the Town, but only that One man, who perfidiously Betray'd Mr. Hildersham, with his Non Conformist Associates, into the Hands of their Enemies. And after he came to New-England, he changed not his Mind with his Ai [...]; but with a Quantum ex Quantillo! continued his Beneficence upon all Occasions, though his Abilities for it were very much Diminished; which brings to mind a most Memorable Story. A Little Church, whereof the worthy Mr. White was Pastor, being by the Strange and Strong, Malice of their Prevailing Adversaries, forced off Barmudas in much Misery, into a Desart of America, the Report of their Distresses came to their Fellow-Sufferers, though not now Alike­Sufferers, at New-England. Mr. Cotton Immedi­ately applyed himself to obtain a Collection, for [Page 65] the Relief of those Distressed Saints; and a Col­lection of about Seven Hundred Pounds, was im­mediately obtained, whereof Two Hundred was Gathered in that One Church of Boston, where there was no man, who did Exceed, and but one man who did Equal, this Deviser of Liberal Things, in that Contribution. But Behold the Wonderful Pro­vidence of God! This Contribution arrived unto the Poor People on the very Day [...] after they had been brought unto a Personal Division of the little Meal, then Left in the Barrel; upon the Spending whereof, they could foresee nothing but a [...]ing [...]ing Death; and on That very Day, when their Pastor had Preacht unto them, upon that most suitable Text, Psal. 23. 1. That Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

§. 32. The Reader, that is Inquisitive after the Prosopography of this Great Man, may be In­formed, That he was of a Clear, Fair, Sanguine Complexion, and like David of a Ruddy Counte­nance. He was rather Low than Tall, and rather Fat than Lean; but of a Becoming Mediocrity▪ In his Younger years, his Hair was Brown, but in his Latter years, as White, as the Driven Snow▪ In his Countenance there was an Inexpressible sort of Majesty, which Commanded Reverence from all that approched him; This Cotton was indeed, the Cato of his Age, for his Gravity, but had a Glory with it which Cato had not. I cannot, [Page 66] indeed, say, what they Report of Hilary, that Serpents were not able to Look upon him; neverthe­less it was commonly Observed, that the worser sort of Serpents, would from the awe of his Pre­sence keep in their Poisons. As the Keeper of the Inn, where he did use to Lodge, when he came to Derby, would profanely say to his Com­panions, That he Wished Mr. Cotton, were gone out of his House, for, he was not able to Swear white that man was under his Roof: So, other wicked Persons could not show their Wickedness, whilest this Holy and Righteous man was in the Company. But the Exacter Picture of him, is to be taken from his Printed Works, whereof there are many, that Praise him in the Gates; though few of them were Printed with his own Knowledge or Consent. The Children of New-England are to this Day most usually Fed with his Excellent Catechism, which is Intituled, Milk for Babes. His well known Sermons on the First Epistle of John, in Folio, have had their Ac­ceptance with the Church of God: though being Preached in his Youth, and not Published by himself, there are some Things therein, which he would not have Inserted. There are also of His abroad, Sermons on the Thirteenth of the Revelations, and on the Vials, and on Rev. 20. 5, 6. and 2 Sam [...] Last, in Quarto; as also a Savory Treatise Entituled, The way of Life; The Reverend Prefacer whereto saith, Ever since I had any Know­ledge [Page 67] of this Judicious Author, I have Lookt upon him▪ as one Entrusted with as Great a part of the Churches Treasure, as any other whatsoever. Several Volumnes of his Expositions upon Ecclesiastes and Canticles, are also Published in Octavo; As like­wise A Treatise of the New-Covenant, which being a Posthumous Piece, and only Notes written after him, is accordingly to be Judged of. And there have seen the Light, an Answer to Mr. Bal [...], a­bout Forms of Prayer: A Discourse about the Grounds and Ends of Infant Baptism: A Dis­course about Singing of Psalms, proving it a Gospel-Ordinance: An Abstract of Laws in Christs Kingdom for Civil Government: A Treatise a­bout the Holiness of Church Members, proving that Visible Saints are the matter of a Church: Another Discourse upon Things Indifferent, proving that no Church Governours have Power, to Impose In­different Things upon the Consciences of Men. Add hereto, The Way of the Churches in New-England: And that Golden Discourse of, The Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven; In a Written Copy whereof, yet in our Hands, there were some Things, which were never Printed, men­taining, that in the Government of the Church, Authority is peculiar to the Elders only, and an­swering all the Brownistical Arguments to the Contrary. But whereas there may Occur a Passage in his Book of The way of the Churches, which may have in it a little more of the Morellian [Page 68] Tang, Reader, 'Twas none of Mr. Cottons; Mr. Cotton was Troubled when he saw such a Passage, in an Imperfect Copy of his Writings, exposed unto the World, under his Name, against his Will: and he took an Opportunity, in the most Publick manner, to Declare as much unto the World. He was also sometimes put upon Writ­ing yet more Polemically. Indeed there was one Occasion of so Writing, which he Declined med­dling withal; and that was this. Mr. Cotton, having in his Younger years, Written to a Pri­vate Friend some Things, tending (at his Desire) to Clear the Doctrine of Reprobation, from the Exceptions of the Arminians; and this Manus­cript falling into Dr. Twiss's Hand, that Learned man Published it, with his own Confutation of certain Passages in i [...], which did not agree so well with the Doctor's own Supralapsarian Scheme. Now, when Mr. Cotton saw himself Reviled for this Cause by Baily, as being a Pelagian, he only made this meek Reply; I hope God will give me Opportunity e're long to Consider of this, the Doctors Labour of Love. I Bless the Lord, who has taught me to be willing to be Taught, of a far meaner Dis­criple, than such a Doctor, whose Scholastical Acuteness, Pr [...]gnancy of Wit, Solidity of Judgment, and Dexte­rity of Argument, all Orthodox Divines do Highly Honour, and whom all Arminians and Jesuites do sall down before, with Silence. God forbid I should shut my Eyes against any Light brought to me by him. [Page 69] Only I desire I may not be Condemned as a Pelagian or Arminian before I he heard. Moreover, Mr. Cawdry fell hard upon him; to whom he prepa­red an Answer, which was afterwards Published and Seconded by Dr. Owen. But besides these, he was twice compelled unto some other Eristical Writings: Once in Answer to Baily; another time in Answer to Williams: In both of which, like Job, he Turned the Books, which his Adversaries had written against him, into a Crown. I believe, never any meer Man, under such open and hor­rid Injuries as these two Reporters heaped upon Mr. Cotton, did Answer with more Christian Pa­tience; his Answer are indeed a Pattern for all Answerers to the World's End. But it was par­ticularly remarkable, that, in this matter, certain Persons, who had fallen under the Censures of the Civil Authority in the Country, Singled out Mr. Cotton for the Object of their Displeasure, although he had, most, of all men, declined Inter­esting himself in the Actions of the Magistrate, and had also done more than all men to obtain Healing and Favour for those ungrateful Delin­quents. However if Mr. Cotton would from his own profitable Experience, have added Another Book unto this Catalogue, it might have been on the Subject Handled by Plutarch De Capienda ex Hostibus Utilitate. This is the Elenchus of Mr. Cottons Published Writings; whereupon we might make this Conclusion.

§ 33. The Things, which have been Re­lated, cause us to Account Mr. Cotton an Extra­ordinary Person.

These were some of the Lines, which the Renowned Bulkly, justly wept upon his Grave. Yea, we may, on as many Accounts as These Dayes will allow, Reckon him to have been a Prophet of the Lord: and when we have Entertain'd ou [...] selves with a Memorable Demonstration of it, in One Surprising and Stupendous Article of our Church History, we will put a Period unto This part of it.

At the Time, when some unhappy Persons were just going from hence to England, with cer­tain Petitions, which had a Tendency to Disturb [Page 71] the Good Order of Things in both Church and State, then settling among us, Mr. Cotton in the Ordinary Course of his Lectures on the Canticles, Preached on Cant 2. 15. Take us the Foxes, the Little Foxes, which Destroy the Vines. Having thence ob­served, That when God has Delivered his Church from the Dangers of the Persecuting Bear & Lyon, then there were Foxes that would seek by Policy to Under­mine it; and, That all those who Go by a Fox like Policy to Undermine the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, shall be taken & overtaken by his Judgments; he came at Length to his Application, where with a more than Ordinary Majesty, and Fervency, he after This manner, expressed himself.

‘First, Let such as Live in this Country Take Heed, how they go about in any Indirect Way or Course to Prejudice the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Land, or the Government of the Land. If you Do, The Keeper of Israel, who neither Slumbereth nor Sleepeth, will not Take it well at your Hands. He that brought this Peo­ple hither, and preserved them from the Rage of Persecution, and made this Wilderness an Hiding­place for them, whilst he was Chastising our Nation, with the other Nations round about it, and has manifested his Gracious Presence in the midst of these His Golden Candlesticks, and secured us from the Plots of the Late Arch Bishop, and his Confederates abroad, and from the Plots of the Heathen here at home; there is no Question [Page 72] but He will Defend us from the Underminings of False Brethren, and such as are Joined with them. Wherefore, let such know, That this is, in many Respects Immanuels Land, and they shall not Prosper that Rise up against it, but shall be Taken every One of them in the Snares they lay for it. This I speak as a Poor Prophet of the Lord, according to the Word of His Grace now Be­fore us! But in the Second Place, whereas ma­ny of our Brethren are Going to England, Let me Direct a Word unto Them also. I desire the Gracious Presence of our God may Go with you, and [...]is Angels Guard you, not only from the Dangers of the Seas, while you are thereupon, but also from the Errors of the Times, when you arrive. Nevertheless, If there be any among you, my Brethren, as tis Reported there are, that have a Petition to prefer unto the High Court of Parliament, that may Conduce to the Distracti­on and Annoyance of the Peace of our Churches, and the Weakning the Government of the Land where we Live, Let Such Know, the Lord will never Suffer them to Prosper, in their Subtil, Malicious, Desperate Undertakings against His People, who are as Tender unto Him as the Apple of His Eye. But if there be any such among You, who are to Go, I do exhort you, and I would advise you, in the Fear of God, that when the Terrors of the Almighty shall Beset the Vessel wherein you are, when the Heavens shall frown [Page 73] upon you, and the Billowes of the Sea, shall swell above you, and the Dangers of Death shall Threaten you, as I am verily perswaded they will, I would have you then to Consider your Wayes. I will not give the Counsel, that was taken con­cerning Jonas, to cast such a Person into the Sea; God forbid! But I Counsel such to come then unto a Resolution in themselves to Desist from their Enterprises, and Cast their Petitions into the Sea. It may be, that Hardness of Heart, and Stoutness of Spirit may cause you to Persist, and yet in Mercy to some Gracious Persons a­mong you, the Lord may Deliver the Ship from Utter Destruction for their sakes. But the Lord hath further Judgments in Store; He is the God of the Land, as well as of the Sea. I speak this also, as an unworthy Prophet of the Lord!’

These Things were then uttered by a Person, that was as Little of an Enthusiast, as most men in the World. Now attend the Event!

That Ship, after many Stresses of Weather in the Harbour, puts out to Sea; but at Sea, it had the Terriblest Passage, perhaps, that ever was Heard of; The Marriners not being able to take any Observation of either Sun or Star, for Seven Hun­dred Leagues together. Certain Well Disposed Persons aboard, now Calling to Mind the Words of Mr. Cotton, thought it necessary to Admonish the Persons, who were carrying over their Malig­nant Papers against the Country; and some of those [Page 74] Papers were by them, thereupon Given to the Sea-men, who immediately cut them in Pieces, and threw them over board. The Storm forthwith Abated; however there afterwards, came up New Storms, which at last Hurried the Ship a­mongst the Rocks, of Silly; where they yet Re­ceived a Deliverance, which most of them that Consider'd it, pronounced Miraculous. When the Rude Cornish men saw how Miraculously the Ves­sel had escaped, they said, God was a Good Man to Save them So! But the more Instructed and Obliged Passengers, kept a Day of Solemn Thanks­giving to God; in which, even the Profanest Persons on Board, under the Impression of what had Happened, then bore a part. However, the Corn-fields of New-England, still stood Undisturb­ed, notwithstanding the Various Names Affixed unto the Tailes of Petitions against their Liberties. For, as Mr. Cotton Elegantly expressed it, God then R [...]cqued Three Nations, with Shaking Dispensations, that He might procure some Rest unto His People, in this Wilderness!

§. 34. This was Mr. Cotton! What more he was, Let these Lines, taking no License but from the Real Truth, Delineate.

Upon the Tomb of the most Reverend Mr. John Cotton, Late Teacher of the Church of Boston in New-England.

§ 35. Three Sons, and Three Daughters, was this Renowned Walker with God, Blessed withal.

His Eldest Son, did Spend [...] End his Dayes, in the Ministry of the Gospel at Hampton: being esteemed a thorough Scholar, and an able Preach­er; and though his Name were Sea-born, yet none of the Lately Revived Heresies were more Abominable to him, than that of his Name sake, Pelagius [or, Morgan] of whom the Witness of the antient Poet is true,

His Second Son, is at this Day, a Faithful Mi­nister of the Gospel, at Plymouth; and one by whom, not only the English but also the Indians, of America, have the Glad Tidings of Salvation, in their own Language carried unto them.

Of his Two Younger Daughters, the first was Married unto a Merchant of Good Fashion, whose Name was Mr. Egginton; but She did not long Survive the Birth of her first Child, as that Child also did not Survive many years after the Death of her Mother. The next is at this Time, [Page 78] Living, the Consort of One Well known in both Englands, namely Increase Mather, the President of Harvard Colledge, and the Teacher of a Church in Boston.

The Youngest of his Sons, called, Roland, and the Eldest of his Daughters, called, Sarah, both of them Dyed rear together, of the Small Pox, which was raging among the Inhabitants of Boston, in the Winter of the Year, 1649. The Death of those two Lovely Children, Required the Faith of an Abraham, in the Heart of their Gracious Father; who indeed most Exemplarily Expressed what was Required. On this Occasion, I find, that on a Spare Leaf of his Almanack, he Wrote in Greek Letters these English Verses;

But he has at this Day, Five Grandsons, all of them Employed in the Publick Service of the Gospel; whereof, Let the Reader, count him the Meanest, that is the Writer of this History; and accept further one Little Piece of History, relating hereunto.

The Gathering of the Second Church in Boston, was evidently very much to the Disadvantage of Mr. Cotton, in many of his Interests. But he was a JOHN, who reckoned his Joy ful­filled in This, That in His own Decrease the Interests of the Lord Jesus Christ would In­crease; [Page 80] and therefore, with an Exemplary Self-Denial, Divesting himself of all carnal Respects, he set himself to Encourage the Foundation of that Church, out of Respect unto the Ser­vice and Worship of our Common Lord. Now, it has Pleased the Lord so to Order it, That many years after his Decease, that Self Denial of His Holy Servant, has turned unto some Account, in the Opportunities which That very Church has given unto His Children, to Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Conduct of it: His Son in Law has been for more than Thrice Ten Years, and his Grandson for more than Twice Seven Years, the Ministers of the Gospel, in That very Church, accom­modated with Happy Opportunities, To Serve that Generation.

NORTONUS Honoratus.
THE LIFE OF Mr. JOHN NORTON.

§. 1. THERE was a Famous JOHN whose Atchievements are by our Lord Emblazoned in those Terms; He was a Burning and a Shining Light. In the Tabernacle of Old, erected by the Order and for the Worship, of God, there were those Two Things, A Candlestick, and an Altar; in the One a Light, that might never Go out, in the Other a Fire, that might never be Extinguish­ed; and yet such an Affinity between these that there was a Fire in the Light of the One, and a Light in the Fire of the other. Such a Mixture of both Faith and Love, should be in Those, that [Page 2] are employed about the Service of the Tabernacle: And though the Tabernacle erected for our Lord in this Wilderness, had many such Burning and Shining Lights; vet among the Chief of them is to be Reckoned, that JOHN which we had in our Blessed NORTON.

§. 2. He was Born, the Sixth of May 1605. at Starford in Hartfordshire; descended of Ho­nourable Ancestors. In his Early Childhood he discovered a Ripeness of Wit, which gave just Hopes of his proving Extraordinary: and under Mr. Strange in the School of Bunningford, he made [...] a Proficiency, that he could betimes Write Good Latin, with a more than common Elegancie and Invention. At Fourteen years of Age, being sent unto Peter-house, he staid there, till after his taking of his First Degree; where a Romish Emissary, taking a curious and exact Observation of his Notable Accomplishments, used all the Me­thods he could think of, to have seduced him over unto the Romish Irreligion: but God intending him to be a Pillar in His own Temple, Mercifully pre­vented his Hearkening unto any Temptations to become a Support unto the Tower of Babel.

§. 3. In his Youth, he was Accustomed unto some Youthful Vanities; especially unto Card-Play­ing; an Evil which he did first Ponder and Re­form upon a Serious Admonition, which a Servant of his Father's gave unto him. When he came to Consider that a Lot, is a Solemn Appeal unto the [Page 3] God of Heaven, and even by the Rudest Gen­tiles counted a Sacred Thing, he thought that Play­ing with it, was a Breach of the Third Command­ment in the Laws of our God; It should be used, he thought, rather Prayerfully, than Sportfully. He considered, that the Papists themselves do not al­low these Games in Ecclesiastical Persons, and the Fathers do Reprove them with a Vehement Zeal in all sorts of Persons. He considered, that when the Roman Empire became a Christian, severe E­dicts were made against these Games, and that our Protestant Reformers have Branded them with an Infamous Character; Wherefore Inclining now to follow Whatsoever Things are of a Good Report, he would no longer meddle with Games that had so much of a Scandal in them.

§. 4. An Extreme Disaster befalling his Fa­thers Estate, he left the University; and became at once Usher to the School, and Curate in the Church, at Starford: Where a Lecture being men­tained by a Combination of several Godly and Able Ministers, he, on that Occasion, fell into Acquaintance with several of them; especially Mr. Jeremiah Dyke of Epping, by whose Ministery the Holy Spirit of God, gave him a Discovery of his own Manifold Sinfulness and Wretchedness in an Unregenerate State, and Awakened him unto such a Self-Examination, as Drove him to a Sor­row little short of Despair: but after some, time, [Page 4] the same Holy Spirit, enabled him to Receive the Christ and Grace, tendered in the Promises of the Gospel, with an Unspeakable Consolation. Where upon he thought himself concerned in that Ad­vice of Heaven, When thou art Converted, Strengthen thy Brethren!

§. 5. Having before This, been well Studi­ed in the Tongues and Arts, he was the better fit­ted for the Higher Studies of Divinity; whereto he now wholly Addicted himself: And being in his own Happy Experience Acquainted with Faith, and Repentance, and Holiness, he did from that Experience now make Lively Sermons on those points unto his Hearers. He soon grew Eminent in his Ministry; setting off the Truths he Deliver'd, not only with such Ornaments of Laconic and Well contrived Expression, as made him worthy to be called, The Master of Sentences, but also with such Experimental Passages of Devo­tion, as made him Admired, for A Preacher seek­ing out Acceptable Words.

§. 6. His Accomplishments Render'd him, as capable of Preferments, as most in his Age; but Preferments were then so Glogg'd, with Trouble­some and Scruplesome Impositions, that Mr. Norton, as well as other Conscientious Young Ministers, his Contemporaries, declined medling with them His Aversion, and indeed Antipathy, to Arminianism, and his Dislike of the Ceremonies, particularly hin­dered [Page 5] him from a Considerable Benefice, where­to his Unkle might have helped him. Dr. Sibs also, the Master of Katharine Hall in Cambridge, taken with his Abilities, did earnestly Sollicite him, to have Accepted of a Fellowship in that, Colledge; but his Conscience being now Satisfied in the Unlawfulness of some Things then Requir­ed in Order thereunto, would not permit him to do it. Wherefore he contented himself with a more Private Life, as Chaplain in a Knights House at High-Laver in Essex, namely Sir William Masham's; there waiting, till God might furnish, him with Unexceptionable Opportunities, for his more Publick Preaching of the Gospel. But ge­nerally, all those who had any Tast of his Mini­stry, had a very high Opinion of it; nor was there any man in that part of the Country more esteemed than he was, for all sorts of Excellencies; insomuch, that when he came away, an Ancient Minister said, He Believed there was not more Grace and Holiness left in all Essex, than what Mr. Norton, had carried with him.

§. 7. His Natural Temper had a Tincture of Choler in it; but as the Sowrest and Harshest Fruits become the most Pleasant, when tempered with a due Proportion of Sweetness added there­unto, so the Grace of God Sweetned the Dispositi­on of this Good Man, into a most Affable, Cour­teous, and Complaisant Behaviour, which render'd [Page 6] him exceeding Amiable. Indeed when the Apo­stle speaks of the Spirit, and Soul and Body, being Sanctified, some do by Spirit Understand the Na­tural Temper, or Humour; and accordingly the Spirit of this Quick Man being Sanctified, he be­came a Man of an Excellent Spirit.

§. 8. Vast was the Treasure of Learning in this Reverend Man. He was not only a most Accurate Grammarian, which is abundantly mani­fested by his Printed Works in Diverse Languages; but an Universal Scholar: nevertheless, 'twas as a School man that he show'd himself the most of a Scholar. He accounted that the Excellency of a Scholar, lay more in Distinctness of Judgment, than in Elegancy of Language; and therefore, though he had a neater Style than most other men, yet he was Desirous to furnish himself a [...] [...]ugnam, rather than, ad pompam. Hence having Intimately Acquainted himself with the Subtleties of Scholastic Divinity, he made all to Illustrate the, Doctrine of Christ and of Grace, unto which he made all the Spoils of the Schools gloriously Sub­servient. He was a most Elegant Preacher, and the True Follower of Dr. Sibs!

§. 9. But let his Excellencies have been what they will, there was in those Dayes a Set of Men, Resolved that the Church of God should Lose the Benefit of all those Excellencies, except the [Page 7] Person which had them, could comply with cer­tain Uninstituted Rites in the Worship of God; which Our Mr. Norton could not; and it was That which made him Ours. This Drove him to the Remote Regions of America, where he hoped, as well he might, that there would never be done so Unreasonable a Thing, as to ob­struct that Evangelical Worship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the sake whereof, those Regions have been added unto the English Dominions. Where­fore in the year 1634. Having Married a Gen­tle woman both of Good Estate, and of Good Esteem, he took Shipping for New-England; accompanied in the same Ship with the Famous Mr. Thomas Shepard.

§. 10. In the Road betwixt Harwich and Yarmouth, he very narrowly escaped a Terrible. Shipwrack: for by the Venemency of a Storm, all their Anchors gave way, so that they were Driven within a Cables Length of the Sands; but yet the Anchor of their Hope in God, held fast unto the Last. Mr. Shepard having taken the Mariners above Decks, Mr. Norton took the Passengers between Decks, and each of them with their Company, applyed themselves unto Fervent Prayer, whereto the Almighty God gave a present Answer in their Wonderful Deliverance. After this Tempest, which Disappointed their Voyage to New England for that Season, Mr. [Page 8] Norton Returned unto his Friends in Essex; where Mr. Dyke welcomed him, as One come from the Dead, professing to him, That he would have given many Pounds for such a Tryal of his Faith, as this his Friend had newly met withal.

§. 11. The next year Mr. Norton Renew­ed his Voyage to New-England; but intervening Accidents made it very late in the year, before he could begin the Voyage: and so, coming upon the American Coast in the Month of October, they encountred with Another very Terrible Storm, which lasted Eight and fourty Hours, with Great Extremity, and had broken the Vessel to pieces, [...] it had not had a Strength more than Ordinary. One Wave remarkably washed some of the Sea-men overboard on one side and then threw them in again on 'tother; and so Ve­hement was the Storm, that they were forced at Length to undergird the Ship with the Cable, that they might keep her sides together. But within Ten Dayes after this, they were brought safe into Plymouth Harbour.

§. 12. There had been some Overtures be­tween him, and Mr. Winslow, the Agent of Ply­mouth now on board with him, about his Accept­ing of a Settlement in that Plantation; and the People of Plymouth now Courteously and Earnest­ly Invited him, accordingly to continue with them. [Page 9] Nevertheless the State of Things in the Massachu­set Colony, was more agreeable unto him; and the Church of Ipswich made their speedy Appli­cations unto him, to take the Pastoral charge of them. This Occasioned his Deliberation, with his Friends in the Bay, What Course to Steer.

§. 13. While he Sojourned in his Unsettled State at Boston, he came into Acquaintance with the Ministers thereabouts, who entertained him with a very high Opinion of him; especially Mr. Mather of Dorchester, who though of longer standing than he, yet consulted him as an Oracle, in matters of greatest Consequence unto him; and found him to Accomplished and Experienced a Person, that he mentained a most Valuable Friendship with him to the Last. Yea, though he were yet a Young man, and short of Thirty, when he first came into the Country, yet the Magistrates of the Colony soon became so sensible of his Abilities, as to make use of him in some of their most arduous Affairs. And there happened se­veral Occasions to try the Scholastic Emmencies, whereto he was Arrived; One of which was, when there was in these parts a French Friar, who found in Mr. Norton, a Protestant, equal to his own School-men, and well Acquainted with them all. Indeed there was in him the Union of two Excellencies, which do not always meet. It was the Character of Hortensies, that he was [Page 10] Weak in Writing, and yet able to Speak; It was the Character of Abericus, that he was Weak in Speach, and yet Able in Writing; but our Norton was in both of these a very Able Person.

§. 14. It was the Church of Ipswich, that our Lord gave so Rich a Thing, as His Eminent Servant Norton: but besides the constant La­bours of his Holy and Fruitful Man, in that Par­ticular Church, he there did several great Services of a more Extensive Influence to the whole Church of God; whereof One was This, Guiliel­mus Apollonii, at the Direction of the Divines in Zealand, in the year 1644. Sent over to New-England a Number of Questions, relating to our Way of Church-Government; whereto the Mini­sters of New-England unanimously imposed upon Mr. Norton the Task of Drawing up an Answer; which he finished in the year 1645. And it was, I suppose, the first Latin Book that ever was Written in this Country. What satisfaction it gave, may be gathered, not only from the At­testations of Dr. Goodwyn, Mr. Nye, Mr. Sympson, thereunto, but also from the Expressions of Dr. Hornbeck, who frequently magnifies the Reason, and the Candour of our New-English Divine, even in those Points, wherein he dos himself Dissent from him. Nor is it amiss to add the Words, in Dr. Fullers Church History, hereupon; which are, Of all the Authors I have perused concerning [Page 11] these Opinions, none to me was more Informative than Mr. John Norton, One of no less Learning than Modesty, in his Answer to Apollonius, Pastor in the Church of Middleburgh.

§. 15. It will do no Hurt, for me to Repeat one Passage on this Occasion, which to me seem­ed worthy of some Remark. While Mr. Norton was Deeply engaged in Writing his Latin Ac­count of our Church-Discipline, some of his more Accurate and Judicious Hearers, Imagined that his Publick Sermons wanted a little of that Ex­actness, which did use to attend them; Whereof one said something to that Mr. Whiting, whom I may well call the Angel in the Church of Lyn. Mr. Whiting hereupon in a very Respectful and Obliging manner, spoke to Mr. Norton, saying, Sir, There are some of your People, who think that the Services wherein you are engaged for all the Churches, Do something take off the Edge of the Mi­nistry, wherewith you should Serve your own particu­lar Church: I would entreat you, Sir, to consider this matter; for our Greatest Work is to Preach the Gospel unto that Flock, whereof we are Overseers. Our Great and Good man took the Excellent Oyl of this Intimation, with the Kindness which be­came such a Man, and made it Serviceable unto his Holy Studies.

§. 16. Another considerable Service, which then called for the Studies of this Excellent man, [Page 12] was the Advising, Modelling, and Recommend­ing the Platform of Church Discipline, Agreed by a Synod at Cambridge in the year 1647. Into that Platform he would sain have had Inserted, cer­tain Propositions concerning the Watch, which our Churches are to have over the Children Born in them; which Propositions were certainly, The First Principles of New-England: only the fierce Oppo­sitions of One eminent Person, caused him that was of a Peaceable Temper, to forbear urging them any further; by which means, when those very Propositions came to be Advanced and Em­braced in Another Synod, more than twice Seven years after, many People did Ignorantly count them Novelties. Moreover, when the Synod first Assembled, it was a thing of some unhappy Con­sequence, that the Church of Boston would not send any Messengers unto it: but Mr. Norton Preaching the next Lecture there, wherein he Handled the Nature of Councils, and the Power of Civil Magistrates to call such Assemblies, and the Duty of the Churches in Regarding their Advice, the Church of Boston were therewithal so satisfi­ed, as to Testify their Communion with the Rest of the Churches, by sending three Messengers to accompany their Elders now in the Synod. And when the Result of the Synod, came to try it's Acceptance in the Churches; he did his part, especially in his own, with a Prudent and Pious Diligence, to obtain it; which was happily Ac­complished.

[Page 13] §. 17. There was yet one Comprehensive Service more, which this Learned man here did for the Church of God: and that was this. A Gentleman of New-England▪ had Written a Book, Entituled, The Meritorious Price of Mans Redemption, Wherein he pretends to prove, That Christ Suffer­ed not for us those unutterable Torments of Gods Wrath, which are commonly called Hell-Torments, to Redeem our Souls from them; and that Christ bore not our Sins by Gods Imputation, and, therefore, also did not bear the Curse of the Law for them. The General Court of the Colony, concerned that the Glorious Truths of the Gospel might be Res­cued from the Confusions, whereinto the Essay of this Gentleman had thrown them, and afraid lest the Church of God abroad should Suspect that New-England allow'd of such Exorbitant Aberra­tions, appointed Mr. Norton to Draw up an An­swer to that Erroneous Treatise. This Work he performed with a most Elaborate and Judicious Pen; in a Book afterwards Published, under the Title of, A Discussion of that Great Point in Divi­nity, The Sufferings of Christ; And the Questions about His Active and Passive Righteousness, and the Imputation thereof. In that Book the true Princi­ples of the Gospel, are Stated with so much De­monstration, as is indeed unanswerable. The Great Assertion therein Explained and Mentained is (according to the Express Words of the Re­verend [Page 14] Author) ‘That the Lord Jesus Christ as God-Man, and Mediatour, according to the Will of the Father, and His own Voluntary Consent, fully Obeyed the Law, Doing the Command in a Way of Works, and Suffering the Essential Punishment of the Curse, in a Way of Obedient Satisfaction unto Divine Justice, there­by Exactly fulfilling the First-Covenant: Which Active and Passive Obedience of His, together with His Original Righteousness, as a [...], God, of His Rich Grace, actually Imputeth unto Believes, whom, upon the Receipt thereof, by the Grace of Faith, He Declareth and Accepteth, as Perfectly Righteous, and acknowledgeth them to have a Right unto Eternal Life.’

And in every Clause of this Position, the Au­thor Expressed, not his own Sense alone, but the Sense of all the Churches in the Country: In testimony whereof, there was Published at the End of the Book, an Instrument Signed by Five considerable Names, Cotton, Wilson, Mather, Symmes, and Tompson, who in the Name of others, declare, ‘ As they Believe, they do also Profess, That the Obedience of Christ to the whole Law, which is the Law of Righteousness, is the Matter of our Justification; and the Imputation of our Sins to Christ (and thereupon His Suffering the Sense of the Wrath of God upon Him, for our Sin) and the Imputation of his Obedience and Suffer­ings to us, are the Formal Cause of our [Page 15] Justification; and that they who Deny this, do now Take away both of these, both Matter and Form of our Justification, and take away also our Justification, which is the Life of our Souls and of our Religion, and therefore called, The Justi­fication of Life.’

This being the Primitive Doctrine of JUSTI­FICATION, among the Churches of New-England; the Things that were judged Opposite hereunto, in the Renowned RICHARD BAX­TERS Aphorisms of Justification, did then give a Great and Just Offence unto the Faithful in this Country; albeit, the other more Practical and Savoury Books of that Holy Man, were highly Valued, in these American Regions; and not a sew have here Blessed God for him, and for his Labours. And as in those Elder Dayes of New-England, the esteem, which our Church had for that Eminent Man, did not hinder them, from Rejecting that New Covenant of Works, with which they thought he Confounded that most Important Article, upon the Notions whereof the Church either Stands or Falls; thus, it is a Grief of Mind unto our Churches at this Day, to find that Great and Good Man, in some of his Last Works, under the Blinding Heat of his Indignation against some which we also account, Unjustifiable, yea, Dangerous, Opinions and Expressions of Dr. Crisp, Reproaching some of the most undoubted Points in our Common Faith. We Read him unaccount­ably [Page 16] Enumerating among, Errors, which he sayes, have Corrupted Christianity, and Subverted the Gos­pel, such things as these;

They Feign, That God made a Covenant with Adam, that if he stood, God would continue him, and his Posterity and if he fell, God would take it, as if all his Posterity, then Personally Sinned in him.— Feigning God, to make A­dam not only the Natural Father and Root of Mankind, but also Arbitrarily; a Constituted Re­presenter of all the Persons that should Spring from him. Whence they infer, that Christ was by Gods Imposition, and his own Sponsion, made the Legal Representative Person of every one of the Elect, taken singularly: So that, what He did for them, God Reputeth them to have done by Him. Hereby they Falsely make the Person of the Mediator, to be the Legal Person of the Sinner.

They Forge a Law, that God never made, that saith, Thou or thy Surety, shall obey Perfectly or Dy.

They Feign God to have made an Eternal Covenant with His Son.

They Feign Christ to have made such an Ex­change with the Elect, as that having taken all their Sins, He hath given them all His Righteous­ness; not only the Fruit of it, but the Thing in it self.

They say, That by the Imputation of Christs [Page 17] Righteousness, Habitual and Actual, We are Judged Perfectly Just.

They Talk of Justification in meer Ignorant Confusion;—They say, That to Justify is not to make Righteous, but to Judge Righteous.

They Err Grossly, saying, that by [ Faith Im­puted for Righteousness] and [ our being Justified by Faith] is not meant, the Act, or Habit of Faith, but the Object, Christs Righteousness: Not stick­ing thereby to turn such Texts into worse than Non-sense.

These Things, which our Churches with a­mazement, behold Mr. Baxter thus calling Fictions, Falsehoods, Forgeries, Ignorant Confusions, and Gross Errors, Were Defended by Mr. Norton, as the, Faith once Delivered unto the Saints: Nor do our Churches at this Day consider them, as any o­ther than, Glorious Truths of the Gospel; which, as they were mentained by Mr. Norton, So, two Divines which were the Scholars of Mr. Norton, Well-known in both Englands, Nathanael and In­crease Mather, ( Fratrum D [...]lce Par;) and a Third, a Worthy Minister of the Gospel, Mr. Samuel Willard, now Living in the same House from whence Mr. Norton went, unto that not made with Hands, have in their Printed Labours most accurately Expressed them, and Confirmed them▪ Hence, although, as on the One side, I have this Passage of Mr. Baxters, in a Letter from him, written but a few Months before he Dyed, I am [Page 18] as [...] a Lover [...] the New-England Churches, as any Man, according to Mr. Nortons, and the Sy­nods, Model; So, on the other side, the Memory of Mr. Baxter is on many accounts, Zealously Loved among the Churches of New-England, yet E [...] ­pousing the Principles, for their Establishment wherein, Mr. Norton had appeared: Nevertheless, inasmuch as Mr. Baxter, just before his Entrance into his Everlasting Rest, requested of my Parent then in London, Sir, If you know of any Errors in any of my Writings, I Pray you to Confute them after I am Dead! I thought it not amiss, to Regard so far the Gospel-Truths of Justification at this Day Labouring, as to take Occasion from the Mention of Mr. Nortons Book, to say, That in that One Book of his, There is a Confutation of Mr. Baxter, who seems to Oppose those things, which, the Churches of New England judge cannot be De­nyed without Corrupting of Christianity, and Sub­verting of the Gospel. But waving any further mention of the Book, I cannot leave unmentioned a Couple of Passages in the Preface of it, which is Dedicatory to the General Court of the Massa­chus [...]t Colony. One is this; I appeal to any Compe­tently Judicious and Saber-minded man, if the Denial of Rule in the Presbytery, of a Decisive Voice in the Synod, and of the Power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion, do not in this Point Translate the Papal Power unto the Brotherhood of every Con­gregation. Another is this; You have been among [Page 19] the First of Magistrates, which have approved and practised the Congregational Way; no small Fa­vour from God, nor Honour to your selves, with the Concration to come; when that shall appear to be, The Way to Christ.

[...] But we say nothing of Norton, if we [...] of An Orthodox Evangelist. Being [...], Such an One, he Digested the Subtilties of the [...] into Solid and Wholesome Christi­anity, which he Published in a Treatise Entituled, The Orthodox Evangelist; wherein he handles the Abstruse Points of the Existence, and Subsistence, and Efficience of God, and the Person of Christ, and the A [...]thods of the Spirit in Uniting us to Him; and the Doctrine of Justification, with the Future and Happy State of the Saints; all in such a manner, that Mr. Cotton saw cause to say in his Preface to this Treatise, Clusters of Ripe Grapes passing under the Press, are fit to be Transported unto All Nations; thus, such Gifts and Labours passing under the Press, may be fitly Communicated to All Churches. The Physicians do speak, there are Pillulae sine Quibus, that is, Sine Quibus esse Nolo: So there are Libelli sine Quibus, Some Books, Sine Quibus esse Nolo; and this is one of them. This Book he Dedicated unto his own Church in Ip­swich; and in the Close of his Dedication, I can­not forget this Emphatical Passage, YOU are Our Glory and Joy: forget not the Emphasis in the [Page 20] Word, Our: Ministers, compared with other Christi­ans have little to Joy in, in this World: It is not with the Ministers of the Present, as with the Mini­sters of late Times; nor with the Exiles, as with the Rest; nor with your Exiles as with some others; Let this Our, or, if you please Your Condition, for therein you have been both Partakers with us, and Supporters of us, be your Provocation. Thus and more than thus, useful was this Bradwardin of New England, while Ipswich had him.

§. 19. When COTTON, that Man of God, Lay S [...]k, of the Sickness whereof he Dyed, his Church desired that he would Nominate, and Re­commend a fit Person to succeed him; and he Advised them to Apply themselves unto Mr. Nor­ton, hoping that the Church of Ipswich being Ac­commodated with such another Eminent Person as Mr. Rogers, would, out of Respect unto the General Good of all the People of God through­out the Land, so far Deny themselves, as to Dis­miss him from themselves. That which gave Encouragment unto this Business, was not a Dream of Mr. Cottons; though it was, indeed, a Strange Thing, that Mr. Cotton in his Illness, being Solli­citous what Counsel to give unto his Church, he Dreamt, that he saw Mr. Norton Riding unto B [...]ston, to Succeed him, upon a White Horse, in Circumstances, that were exactly afterwards Ac­complished: but it was a Design which Mr. Norton [Page 21] had of Returning for England; A Design which he had so laid before his People, as to obtain their Grant, that if upon staying a Twelve Month Longer among them, there did Occur no Occasion for him, to alter his purposes, they would not Oppose his Going. Now, when the Agents of the Church at Boston, made this Motion to the Church of Ipswich, there was much Debate about it; Wherein at Length an Honest Brother made this Proposal, Brethren, A Case in some things like to This, was once that Way determined, We will call the Damsel, and Enquire at her Mouth; Where­fore I propose, that our Teacher himself be Enquired of, whether he be Inclined to Go? They then put that Question to Mr. Norton himself, who being Troubled at the Offer of the Qustion unto him, answered, That, if they Judged such Reasons as caused his Removal from Europe into America, now call'd for his Removal from Ipswich to Boston, he should Resign himself; but he could not be Active. How­ever, at Length, they consented, that he should for the present, go sojourn at Boston, to Try, and see how far the Will of God about this matter, might be afterwards Discovered; but after Mr. Norton was gone, many of the People fell into a very unreasonable Indisposition towards Mr. Rogers, as if he had not been Active enough, al­though he had, indeed, been as Active, as he well could be, to Retain his Collegue among them. The Melancholy Temper of Mr. Rogers felt so [Page 22] Deep an Impression from these Paroxysms, and Murmurings, of the People, that it is Thought, his End was thereby Hastned; but the Church, upon the Death of Mr. Rogers, Renewing their Demands of Mr. Nortons Return, a Council was upon that Occasion called; which Council advised Ipswich to Grant Mr. Norton a fair Dismission unto the Service of Boston, and in Boston, of All New-England. However Diverse Les [...]er Councils, that were Successively called on this Occasion, could not comfortably procure this Dismission, till at last the Governour and Magistrates of the Colony called a Council for this End; in their Order for which, they Intimate their Concern, Lest, while the two Churches were contending, which of them should enjoy Mr. Norton, they should both of them, and the whole Country with them, Lose that Reverend Person, by his Prosecuting his Inclination to Remove into England. Hereupon such a Dismission could not be Denyed; but now Boston Joyfully Receiving Mr. Norton, Ipswich applyed themselves unto Mr. Cobbet, who afterwards continued a Rich Blessing among them. And Mr. Norton did, indeed, the part of a Surviving Brother for Mr. Cotton, in Raising up, or, at least, Keeping up, the Name of that Great Man, by Publishing a most Elegant Account of his Life, part whereof was afterwards Transcribed by Sam. Clark, into his Collections.

[Page 23] §. 20. Mr. Norton being now Transplanted into that Garden, which our Lord had in Boston, did there bring forth much of that Fruit where­by the Heavenly Father was Glorified. There he Preached, he Wrote, he Pray'd, and mentained without any Prelatical Episcopacy, a Care of all the Churches. And New England, being a Country whose Interests were most Remarkably and Ge­nerally Enwrapped in its Ecclesiastical Circum­stances, there were many Good Offices, which Mr. Norton did, for the Peace of the whole Coun­try, by his Wise Counsels upon many Occasions, given to its Counsellours. In Truth, if he had ne­ver done any thing, but that one thing of pre­venting by his Wise Interposition, the Acts of Hostility, which were like to pass between Our People, and the Dutch at Manhataes, That alone were well worth his coming into the Station, which he now had at Boston. But the Service which now most Signalized him was, his Agency at Whitehal; for, it being found necessary to Ad­dress the Restored King; the Worshipful Simon Bradstreet Esq. and this Reverend Mr. John Norton, were sent over as Agents, from the Colo­ny, with an Address unto His Majesty; wherein there were among others, the following Passages.

‘We Supplicate Your Majesty for Your Gra­cious Protection of us, in the Continuance both [Page 24] of our Civil, and of our Religious Liberties; ac­cording to the Grantees known End of Sueing for the Patent; conferr'd upon this Plantation by Your Royal Father. Our Liberty to Walk in the Faith of the Gospel, with all Good Conscience, according to the Order of the Gospel, was the Cause of our Transporting our selves, with our Wives, our Little Ones, and our Substance, from that Pleasant Land, over the Atlantic Ocean, into the Vast Wilderness; choosing rather the Pure Scripture Worship, with a Good Conscience, in this Remote Wilderness, than the Pleasures of Eng­land, with Submission to the Impositions of the, then so Disposed, and so far prevailing Hierarchy, which we could not Do without an Evil Conscience.—We are not Seditious as to the Interests of Cesar, nor Schismatical as to the Matters of Religion. We Distinguish between Churches, and their Impurities.—We could not Live without the Publick Worship of God, nor be permitted the Publick Worship with­out such a Yoke of Subscription and Conformity, as we could not Consent unto without Sin. That we might, therefore, enjoy Divine Worship, free from Humane Mixtures, without Offence to God, Man, and our own Consciences, We, with Leave, but not without Tears, departed from our Country, Kindred and Fathers Houses, into this Patmos.—’

It was in February 1661,2. that they Began their [Page 25] Voyage, and it was in September following, that they Returned; Mr. Nortons place, being the mean time supplyed by the Neighbouring Mi­nisters, taking of their Turns. And by their Hands the Country Received the Kings Letters, wherein he signified, that the Expressions of their Loyalty and Affection to Him, were very Acceptable, and that consuming to them their Priviledges, He would Cherish them with all manner of Encou­ragement, and Protection.

§. 21. Such has been the Jealous Disposi­tion of our New-Englanders about their Dearly-bought Priviledges, and such also has been the Various Understanding of the People about the Extent of those Priviledges, that of all the Agents, which they have sent over unto the Court of England, for now Forty years together, I know not any One, who did not at his Return, meet with some very froward Entertainments among his Country-men: and there may be the Wis­dom of the Holy and Righteous God, as well as the Malice of the Evil One, acknowledged, in the Ordering of such Temptations. Of these Tempta­tions, a Considerable share fell to Mr. Norton; Concerning whom there were many, who would not stick to say, that he had laid the Foundation of Ruine to all our Liberties; and his Melancholly Mind Imagined, that his Best Friends began, therefore, to Look awry upon him.

[Page 26] §. 22. In the Spring before his Going for England, he Preached an Excellent Sermon unto the Representatives of the whole Colony, Assem­bled at the Court of Election, wherein, I take par­ticular Notice of this Passage, Moses was the Meekest Man on Earth, yet it went ill with Moses, tis said, for THEIR SAKES. How long did Moses live at Meribah? Sure I am; it kill'd him in a Short Time; a man of as Good a Temper as could be expected from a meer Man: I tell you, it will not only Kill the People, but it will Quickly, Kill Moses too! And in the Spring after his Return from England, he found his own Observation in himself too much Exemplified. It was common­ly Judged, That the Smothered Griefs of his Mind, upon the Unkind Resentments, which he thought many People had of his Faithful and Sincere En­deavours to Serve them, did, more than a Little, Hasten his End; an End, whereat JOHN NORTON went, according to the Anagram of his Name INTO HONNOR. But he had the Priviledge to enter into Immortality, without such a Formal and Feeling Death, as the most of Mortals Encounter with; for though in the Forenoon of April 5. 1663. it was his Design to have Preach­ed in the Afternoon, he was that Afternoon taken with a sudden [...]pothymie, which presently and easily carried him away to those Glories, wherein the Weary are at Rest; but it was a Dark Night, [Page 27] which the Inhabitants of Boston had upon the Noise of his Death: Every Corner of the Town was filled with Lamentations, which left a Cha­racter upon that Night, unto this Day, not for­gotten! His Dearest Neighbour, Mr. Richard Mather, wept over him, at his Funeral, which was on the next Lecture Day, a Sermon most Agree­able to the Occasion; And the Son o [...] his Fel­low-Traveller, Mr. Thomas Shepard, was One of the Many, who bestowed their Elegies upon him; [...]ing This, among his other Strokes.

Which Lines accompanied with Mr. Wilsons Anagrammatising of JOHANNES NORTONUS into Nonne is Honor [...]ius? Will Give him his Deserved Character.

[Page 28] §. 23. He that shall Read the Tragical Romances, written by that Brasen-fac'd Lyar Bolsecus, concerning the Deaths of such men as Calvin and Beza, or such monstrous Writings as those of Tympius, [...]ochleus, Genebard, and some others, who would bear the World in hand, that Luther and Occolampadius Learn'd the Protestant Religion, of the Devil, and were at last, kill'd by him; and that Bucer had his Guts Pull'd out and cast about by the Devil; will not Wonder if I tell him, that after the Death of Mr. Norton, the Quakers Published a Libel, by them called, A Re­presentation to King and Parliament; wherein, pre­tending to Report some Remarkable Judgments upon their Persecutors, they Insert this Passage, ‘ John Norton Chief Priest, in Boston, by the Immediate Power of the Lord, was Smitten, and as he was Sinking down by the Fire side, being under Just Judgment, he confessed, the Hand of the Lord was upon him, and so he Dy'd.’—Which they mention, as a Judgment upon a Persecutor. Whereas, the Death of this Good man, was Attended with no Circumstances, but what unto a Good man might be Eligible and Comfortable, and Circumstanced far otherwise, than it was by those Revilers Represented. But it was necessary for that Enchanted People, thus to Revenge themselves upon one, who amongst his others Services [...]o the Church of God, already [Page 29] mentioned, had, at the Desire of the General Court, Written a Book, Entituled, The Heart of New-England Rent, at the Blasphemies of the Present Ge­neration; Or, a Brief Tractate concerning the Doctrine of the Quakers: Which Doctrine was in this Tractate, solidly Confuted. And perhaps, it had been better i [...] This had been All the Confutation; Which I add, Because I will not, I cannot make my self a Vindicator of all the Severities, with which the Zeal of some Eminent men hath some­times Enraged, and Increased, rather than Reclamed, those Miserable Hereticks: but wish that the Quakers may be treated, as Q. Elizabeth directed the Lord President of the North to treat the Pa­rists; when She advised him to Convince them with Argument, rather then Suppress them with [...]; to that purpose using the Words of the Prophet, [...] Mortem Peccatoris.

§. 24. Not Long after his Death, his Friends Published Three Sermons of his, which for the Circumstances of them, could have been Entitu­led, These were the Last W [...]ds of that Servant of the Lord. The [...] of the Sermons, was the Last Sermon, which he [...] at the Court of [...] at Boston. It is on Jer 10 17. Entituled, Si [...]n the Out▪ ca [...] Healed of her [...]: and there are Two or Three Passages in it, which I cannot but Recommend unto the Peculiar Consideration of the Present [...].

[Page 30] ‘To Differ from our Orthodox, Pious, and Learned Brethren, is such an Affliction to a Christian and an Ingenuous Spirit, as nothing but Love to the Truth could Arm a [...] Peace against. Our Profession being in [...] Differing from these and those, it concerns us, that our Walking be very Caut [...]lous, and that it be without Giving any Just Offence.’

Again, In matters of State and Church, Let it be shown that we are His Disciples, who said, Give unto Cesar the Things that are Cesars, and I Give unto God the Things that are Gods: and in mat­ters of Religion, Let it be Known, That we are for Reformation and not for Separation:

—Once more,— I may say thus much (and par­don my speech) A more Yielding Ministry unto the People, than ours, I believe is not in the World. I beseech you, Let not Cesar be Killed in the Senate, after he hath Conquered in the Field: Let us Acknowledge the Order of the Eldership, in our Churches, in their Way; and the Order of Councils in their Way, duely backed and encouraged: without which Experience will Witness that these Churches cannot long consist.

The Second of the Sermons, was the Last Ser­mon, which he Preached on the Lords Day. It is on Joh. 14. 3. Entituled, The Believers Conso­lation in the Remembrance of his Heavenly Mansion, prepared for him by Christ.

The Third of the Sermons was the Last Sermon, [Page 31] which he Preach'd on his Lecture. It is on Heb. 8. 5. Entituled, The Evangelical Worshipper, Subject­ing to the Prescription, and Soveraignty of Scripture Pattern.

§. 25. The Three Sermons, thus Published, as the Last, or the Dropt Mantle of this Elias, are Accompanied with the Translation of a Letter, which was composed in Latin, by Mr. Norton, and Subscribed by more than Forty of the Mi­nisters, on this Occasion. The Famous John [...]urn, having from the year 1635. been most Indefatigably Labouring for a Pacification, be­tween the Reformed Churches in Europe, com­municated his Design to the Ministers of New-England, requesting their Concurrence and Coun­tenance unto his Generous Undertaking. In Answer to Him, this Letter was Written; and there are One or Two Passages, which I choose to Transcribe from it, because, as well the Spirit of our Norton, as the Story of our Country, is therein Indigitated.

Redeunt in Memoriam, [...]t redeunt quidem non sine Sanctiori Sympathia, Beat [...] Ill [...] Ammae, Melan [...] ­thonis & Parei N [...]N EN A [...]IOI [...], hi [...] int [...]r Reformatos, ille inter Evangeli [...]os, Vir Consummatis­simus. Quorum Alter Haganoam [...]ter faciens, [...].Inge [...].

Viximus in Synod [...], et jam moriemur in illis.

[Page 32] Alter Ver [...], Super Eristica Eucharistica Medita­bundus, in [...] Verba Erupit, Defessus sum Dis­putando. Nimirum, Illis Judicibus, Orandum p [...] ­tius quam—Disputandum; Vivendum non Liti­gandum For [...]tan [...] Consilia Pacis, quae Sti [...] ­lanti recenti Ira bac [...]enus, minus grata fuere, utri [...]s­que partis Theologi Rixis diuturnicribus aliquando fossi [...] Subacti, a [...]uis animis Suscipere, non moleste ferent: Mare pacificum Aquis Meribanis, Longo Retu [...] [...] Edocti, anteferentes.

We may here call to Mind, and not without some Sacred Sympathy, Those Blessed Souls, Melancthon and Pareus, now among the Blessed, The One no less Famous among the Reformed, than the Other among the Evangelicks. Of these, The One Going towards Haganoa, with Sighs uttered these Words,

The Other Seriously Mediating on the Con­troversy of the Eucharist, brake forth into these Words; I am weary with Disputing. Thus, if these, might be Judges, we ought rather to Pray than Dispute, and Study how to Live, rather than Contend. And perhaps the Divines of either Part, after they have been wearyed and Broke, in [Page 33] their Spirits with Dayly and Continual Con­tentions, will more readily Accept of the Counsels of Peace, which hitherto have been le [...]s Acceptable, while the sense of Anger has been Spurring▪ of them: After they have been taught by long use, they may prefer the Waters of the Pacifie Sea, before those of Meribah.

Gratias agimus Domino Dureo, c [...]I Joseph [...] Longe terra marique à fratribus Dissiti, meminisse Cordi fuit: Qui nos Misellos, in Cilicio, Cilicio autem ipsi confidimus Evangelico, Militantes, [...]am Auspicato Nuncio invisere dignatus est: Qui No­vam Angliam, quasi particulam aliquam Fimbria Vestiment [...] Aaronici, unguento pr [...]diviti delib [...]tam, in Album Syncretismi, Longe celeberrimi, ad­scribere, non adspernatur: Qui porro Litterts a [...]. Syncretismum hortatoriis, subinde nobis Ausam prae [...]uit Testimonium hoc, quale quale, perhibendi Communionis nostrae fraternae, cum univer [...]a C­horte Protestantium, fidem Jesu Christ [...] pro [...]en­tium. Ingenue e [...]m fatemur, tranquilla tu [...] quum­erant Omnia, nec Signa Minantia signis ad bu [...] ­nobis conspici [...]bantur; quippe quibus, Episcopis, illa Tempestate Rerum Dominis, publico Ministeri [...] Defungi, nedum Sacris frui, sine Subscriptione &. Conformitate, (ut loqui solent) atque adeo Hu­manarum Adinventionum, in Divinis, Commixtione, non Liceret, [...]t satius visum est, vel in Longin­quas, [Page 34] et Incultas Terrarum Oras, Cultus purioris Ergo concessisse, quam Oner [...] Hierarchico, cum Rerum Omnium Affluentia, Conscientiae autem Dis­pendio, succubuisse. At patriam fugiendo, nos Ec­clesiarum Evangelicarum Communioni Nuncium misisse, hoc vero est quod fidenter & Sanct [...] pernegam [...]s.

‘We give thanks to Mr. Dury, into whose heart it came to Remember, Joseph Separate from his Brethren at so great a Distance both by Sea and Land: and who hath vouchsafed with so comfortable a Message to visit us, poor People, cloathed in Sackcloth, for our Warfare; yet, as we trust, the Sackcloth of the Gospel: who hath not refused to put New-England as part of the skirt of Aarons Garment, upon which hath Descended some of the Precious Oyl, into the Catalogue of the so much famed Agreement: And who hath by his Letter exhorting to such Agree­ment given us an Occasion to bring in this Testimony, such as it is, for our Brotherly Communion with the whole Company of Protestants professing the Faith of Christ Jesus. For we must Ingenuously confess, that then, when all Things were Quiet, and no Threatning Signs of War appeared, seeing we could not be permitted, by the Bishops, at that time prevailing, to perform the Office of [Page 35] the Ministry in Publick, nor yet to enjoy the Holy Ordinances, without Subscription and Conformity (as they were wont to speak) nor without the Mixture of Humane Inven­tions with Divine Institutions, we chose rather to Depart into the Remote, and unknown parts of the Earth, for the sake of a Purer▪ Worship, than to ly down under the Hierarchy in the Abundance of all Things, but with Prejudice of Conscience. But that in Flying from our Country, we should Renounce Communion with such Churches, as profess the Gospel, is a Thing, which we Confidently, and Solemnly Deny.’

Quoscunque apud Catus, per Universum Evan­gelicorum chorum, Fundamentalia Doctrinae et Essentialia Ordinis, Vigeant, quamvis in pleri [...] ­que Controversiae Theologicae, Apicibus nobis­cum juxta minus Sentiant, illos tamen ad unu [...] Omnes, pro Fratribus agnoscimus, iisque caetera pacificis, & Ordinate incedentibus, ΔΕΞΙΑΣ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΑΣ in Domino porrigere, para­tissimos, nos esse his [...]e palam facimus.

‘In whatever Assemblies amongst the whole Company of those that profess the Gospel, the Fundamentals of Doctrine, and Essentials of Order, are mentained, though in many Ni­ceties [Page 36] of Controversal Divinity, they are a [...] less Agreement with us, we do hereby make it manifest, that we do acknowledge them all, and every one for Brethren, and that we shall be ready to give unto them the Right Hind of Felowship in the Lord, if in other Things they be Peaceable, and walk Or­derly.’

§. 26. This was our Norton! And we might have given yet a fuller Account of him, if we could have seen, the Diary, which he kept of his Dayly Walk. However he was well known to be a Great Example of Holiness, Watchfulness; and Extraordinary Wis­dom; and though he left no Children, yet he has a Better Name than that of Sons and of Daughters. Moreover, There was one Consi­derable part of Ministerial Work, wherein he not only went beyond most of his Age, but also proved a Leader unto many Followers. Though the Ministers of New-England counted it Unlawful for them, Ordinarily to perform their Ministerial Acts of Solemn and Publick Prayer by Reading or Using any Forms of Prayer composed by other Persons for them; They Reckoned an Ability to express the Case of a Congregation in Prayer, to be a Ministerial Gift, which our Lord forbids His Ministers [Page 37] to Neglect; They supposed that a Minister, who should only Read Forms of Sermons composed for him, would as Truly Discharge the Duty of Preaching, as One that should only Read such Forms of Prayers, would the Duty of Praying, in it: They could not find, that any Humane Forms of Prayer were much used in any part of the Church, until about Four Hundred years after Christ, nor any made for more than some Single Province, until Six Hundred years; nor any Imposed until Eight Hundred, when all manner of Ill-formed Things, began to be found in the Temple of God: Nevertheless very many of our Greatest Ministers, in our more Early times, did not use to Expatiate with such a Significant and Admirable Variety in their Prayers before their Sermons, as many of our Later Times have attained unto: Nor indeed Then did They, nor Still do We, count all Forms of Prayer Simply Unlawful. But the more General Improve­ments and Expressions of The Gift of Prayers, in our Ministers, have Since been the matter of Observation; and Particularly Mr. Norton, therein was truly Admirable! It even Trans­ported the Souls of his Hearers, to accompany him in his Devotions, wherein his Graces would make Wonderful Salleyes into the vast Field of Entertainments, and Acknowledgments, with which [Page 38] we are furnished in the New-Covenant, for our Prayers. I have Heard of a Godly man in Ipswich, who after Mr. Nortons Going to Boston, would Ordinarily Travel on foot from Ips­wich to Boston, which is about Thirty Miles, for nothing but the Weekly Lecture there; and he would profess, That it was worth a Greater Journey, to be a Partaker in One of Mr. Nortons Prayers▪ This Pattern of Prayer in Mr. Norton, had some Influence upon it, that since his Time, our Pulpits have been fuller than ever, of Experimental Demonstrations, that the Ministers of the Gospel may on All Occasions present their Supplications be­fore God, in the Discharge of their Mini­stry, with more Pertinent, more Affecting, more Expanded Enlargments, than any Form could Afford unto them. New-England can show, even Young Ministers, who never did in all Things Repeat One Prayer twice over, in that part of their Ministry wherein we are First of All, to make Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, and Thanksgivings; and yet some­times, for much more than an Hour together, they pour out their Souls unto the Almighty God in such a Fervent, Copious, and yet Proper Manner, that their most Critical Au­ditors, can complain of Nothing Disagreeable but profess themselves extreamly Edifyed.

[Page 39] But our Praying Norton, who while he was among us, Pray'd with the Tongue of An­gels, is now Gone to Praise with the Angels for ever.

Memoria WILSONIANA.
THE LIFE OF Mr. JOHN WILSON.

§. 1. SUCH is the Natural Tendency, in Humane Minds to Poetry, That, as tis Observed, the Roman Historian, in the very first Line of his History, fell upon a Verse,

Urbem Romam, In Principl [...] Reges habuere;

So, the Roman Orator, though a very Mean Poet, yet making an Oration for a Good One, could not let his First Sentence pass him, without a per­fect Hexameter,

[Page 2] If therefore, I were not of all men the most [...], my Reader might now Expect an Entertainment altogether in Verse; for I am go­ing to Write the Life of that New-English Divine, who had so nimble, a Faculty of putting his De­vour thoughts into Verse, that he Signalized him­self by the Greatest Frequency, perhaps, that ever Man used, of sending Poems, to All Persons, in All Places, on All Occasions; and upon this, as well as upon Greater Accounts, was a David un­to the Flocks of our Lord in the Wilderness:

Wherein, if the Curious Relished the Piety some­times rather than the Poetry, the Capacity of the Most, therein to be accommodated, must be Con­sidered. But I intend no further Account of this matter, than what is given by his Worthy Son, (Reprinting at Boston in the year, 1680 the Verses of his Father, upon the Famous Deliverances of the English Nation, Printed at London, as long a­go, as the year 1626) Whose Words are, What Volumns hath he Penned, for the help of Others, in their several Changes of Condition? How was his Heart full of Good Matter? And has Verses past, like to the Handkerchiefs carried from Paul, to up­hold the Disconsolate, & Heal their Wounded Souls? For indeed this is the Least Thing, that we have to Relate of that Great Saint; and accordingly, [Page 3] it is under a more Considerable Character, that I must now Exhibit him, Even, as a Father to the Infant Colonies of New-England.

§. 2. Mr. John Wilson, descending from Eminent Ancestors, was Born at Winsor in the Wonderful Year 1588 The Third Son of Dr. William Wilson, a Prep [...]nd of St. Pauls, of Roch­ester and of Winsor, and Rector of Cliff: having for his Mother, a Neece of Dr. Edmund Grindal, the most Worthily Renowned Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. His exact Education under his Pa­rents, which betimes Tinged! him with an Aver­sation to Vice, and above all, to the very shadow of a Lye, fitted him to Undergoe the further Education, which he received in Eaton-Colledge, under Udal (and Langely) whom now we may Venture, after Poor Tom. Tusser, to call, The Seve­rest of Men. Here he was most Remarkably Twice Delivered from Drowning; but at his Book, he made such Proficiency, that while he was the Least Boy in the School, he was made a Propositor; and when the Duke of Biron, Emba [...]sador from the French King Henry IV, to Queen Elizabeth, Visited the School, he made a Latin Oration, for which the Duke bestowed Three Angels upon him. After four years Con­tinuance at Eaton, he was Removed unto Cam­bridge, between the Fourteenth and Fifteenth year of his Age; and Admitted into Kings College [Page 4] in the year 1602. When he came to stand for a Fellowship in that Colledge, his Antipathy to some Horrid Wickednesses, whereto a Detestable Wretch that had been Acquainted with him, would have betray'd him, caused that Malicious Wretch by Devised and Accursed Slanders to ruin so far the Reputation of this Chast Youth with the other Fellows, that had not the Provost, who was a Serious and a Reverend Person, in­terposed for him, he had utterly lost his Privi­ledge; which now by the Major Vote he Ob­tained. But this Affliction put him upon many Thoughts and Prayers before the Lord.

§. 3. He had hitherto been, according to his Good Education, very Civilly and Soberly Dis­posed: but being by the Good Hand of God, Led unto the Ministry of such Holy men as Mr. Rains, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Chadenton, he was by their Sermons Enlightned and A wakened, unto more Sollicitous Enquiries after, The One Thing yet Lack­ing in him. The Serious Dispositions of his Mind, were now such, that besides his pursuance after the Works of Repentance in himself, he took no little pains to pursue it in others; especially the Malefactors in the Prisons, which he Visited with a Devout, Sedulous, and Successful Industry. Nevertheless, being forestalled with Prejudices against the Puritans of those Times, as if they had held, he knew not well what Odd Things, he [Page 5] Declined Their Acquaintance; although his Good Conversation had made him to be accounted One of them, Himself. Until going unto a Book­sellers Shop to Augment his Well-furnisht Library, he Lit upon that Famous Book of Mr. Richard Rogers, called, The Seven Treatises; which, when he had Read, he so Affected, not only the Mat­ter, but also the Author of the Book, that he took a Journey unto Wethersfield, on purpose to hear a Sermon, from that Boanerges. When, he had heard the Heavenly Passages that fell from the Lips of that Worthy Man, Privately, as well as Publickly, and compared therewithal the Writings of Greenham, of Dod, and of Dont, especially The Path way to Heaven, Written by the Author last mentioned, he saw that They who were Nicknamed, Puritans, were like to be the Desirablest Companions, for One that intended his own Everlasting Hap­piness; and pursuant unto the Advice, which he had from Dr. Ames, he associated himself with a Pious Company in the University, who kept their Meetings in Mr. Wilsons Chamber, for Prayer, Fasting, Holy Conference, and the Exercises of true Devotion.

§. 4. But now, perceiving many Good men to Scruple many of the Rites, Practised and Im­posed in the Church of England, he furnished himself with all the Books, that he could find Written on the Case of Conformity, both Pro and [Page 6] Con, and pondered with a most Conscientious Deliberation, the Arguments on both sides pro­duced. He was hereby so convinced of the E­vil in Conformity, that at Length, for his Obser­veable Omission, of certain Uninstituted Ceremo­nies in the Worship of God, the Bishop of Lincoln, then Visiting the University, pronounced upon him the Sentence of Quindenum, that is, That, be­sides other Mortifications, he must within Fifteen Dayes, have been Expelled, if he continued in his Offence. His Father, being hereof Advised, with all Paternal Affection, Wrote unto him to Con­form; and at the same Time, interceded with the Bishop, that he might have a Quarter of a year allowed him; in which time, if he could not be Reduced, he should then leave his Fellow­ship in the Colledge. Hereupon he sent him un­to several Doctors of Great Fame, to get his Ob­jections Resolved; but when much Discourse, and much Writing, had passed between them, he was rather the more confirmed in his Principles a­bout Church-Reformation. Wherefore his Father, then diverting him from the Designs of the Mi­nistry, disposed him to the Inns of Court; where he fell into Acquaintance with some Young Gen­tlemen, who associated with him in constant Exercises of Devotion, to which Meetings the Repeated Sermons of Dr. Gouge were a continual Entertainment: and here it was, that he came into the Advantageous Knowledge of the Learn­ed [Page 7] Scultetus, Chaplain to the Prince Palatine of the Rhine, then making some stay in England.

§. 5. When he had continued Three years at the Inns of Court, his Father discerning his Dis­position to be a Minister of the Gospel, permitted his Proceeding Master of Arts, in the University of Cambridge; but Advised him to Address ano­ther Colledge, than that, where he had formerly met with Difficulties. Dr. Cary, who was then Vice-Chancellour, understanding his former Cir­cumstances, would not Admit him without Sub­scription: but he refused to Subscribe. In this Dis­tress he Repaired unto his Father, at whose House there happened then to be present, the Countess of Bedfords Chief Gentleman, who had Business with the Earl of Northampton, the Chancellour of the University. And this [...]ble Person upon the Information, which that Gentleman gave him of the matter, presently Wrote a Letter to the Vice Chancellour on the Behalf of our Young Wilson; whereupon he received his Degree, and continued a while after this, in Emanuel-Colledge: from whence he made frequent and useful Visits unto his Friends, in the Counties adjoining, and became further fitted for his Intended Service. But while he was passing under these Changes, he took up a Resolution, which he thus expressed before the Lord; That if the Lord would Grant him a Liberty of Conscience, with Purity of Worship, [Page 8] he would be content, yea, thankful, though it were [...] the furthermost End of the World. A most Pro­phetical Resolution!

§. 6. At Length, Preaching his first Ser­mon at New-Port; he set his Hand unto that Plough from whence he never afterwards Looked Back: not very long after which, his Father lying on his Death Bed, he kneeled, in his Turn, before him, for his Blessing, and brought with him for a share in that Blessing, the Virtuous Young Gen­tlewoman, the Daughter of the Lady Mansfield (Widow of Sir John Mansfield Master of the Minarys and the Queens Surveyor) whom he Designed afterwards to Marry: Whereupon the Old Gentleman said, Ah, John I have taken much Care about thee, such time as thou wast in the Uni­versity, because thou wouldest not Conform; I would fain have brought thee to some higher Preferment, then thou hast yet attained unto: I see thy Conscience is very Scrupulous, concerning some things that have been Observed and Imposed in the Church: Never­theless, I have Rejoyced to see the Grace and Fear of God, in thy Heart; and seeing thou hast kept a Good Conscience hitherto, and walked according to thy Light So Do still; and Go by the Rules of Gods Holy Word: The Lord Bless thee, and her, whom thou hast chosen to be the Companion of thy Life! Among other Places, where he now Preached, Moreclake was One; where his Non-Conformity exposed him to [Page 9] the Rage of Persecution; but by the Friendship of the Justice, namely Sir William Bird, a Kinsman of his Wife, and by a Mistake of the Informers, the Rage of that Storm was moderated.

§. 7. After this, he Lived as a Chaplain Successively in Honourable and Religious Fami­lies; and, at last, was Invited unto the House of the most Pious Lady Scudamore. Here Mr. Wilson observing the Discourse of the Gentry at the Table, on the Lords-Day, to be too Disagree­able unto the Devout Frame to be mentained on such a Day, at Length he Zealously stood up at the Table, with Words to this purpose, I will make bold to Speak a Word or Two; This is the Lords Holy Day, and we have been hearing His Word, and after the Word Preached, every One should think, and speak about such Things, as have been Delivered in the Name of God; and not Lavish cut the Time in Discourses about Hawks & Hounds. Whereupon, a Gentleman then present, made this Handsome and Civil Answer, Sir Wee Deserve all of us to be thus Reproved by you; This is, indeed, the Sabbath­Day, & we should, surely, have better Discourse; I hope, it will be a Warning to us. Notwithstand­ing this, the next Lords Day, the Gentry at the Table were at their Old Notes; which caused Mr. Wilson again to tell them, That the Hawks which they Talkt of, were the Birds, that Picked up the seed of the Word, after the Sowing of it; and [Page 10] Pray'd them, That their Talk might be of such Things, as might Sanctify the Day, and Edify their own Souls; which caused the former Gentleman to Renew his former Thankfulness for the Ad­monition. But Mr. Leigh the Ladys Husband, was very angry; whereof when the Lady ad­vised Mr. Wilson, wishing him to say something, that might Satisfy him, he Replyed, Good Madam, I know not wherein I have given any just Offence; and therefore, I know of no Satisfaction that I owe Your Ladyship has Invited me to Preach the Good Word of God among you; and so I have endeavoured according to my Ability: Now such Discourse as this, on the Lords Day, is Profane & Disorderly: If your Husband Like me not, I will be gone. When the Lady informed her Husband how Peremptory Mr. Wilson was, in this matter, he mended his Countenance and Carriage; and the Effect of this Reproof was, that unsuitable Discourse, on the Lords Day, was cured among them.

§. 8. Removing from this Family, after he had been, a while at Henly, he continued for three years together, Preaching at Four Places, by Turns, which lay near one another, on the Edges of Suffolk, namely Bumsted, Stoke, Clare, and Candish. Here, some of Sudbury happening to hear him, they Invited him to Succeed the Emi­nent Old Mr. Jenkins, with which Invitation, he cheerfully complied, and the more cheerfully be­cause [Page 11] of his Opportunity to be near Old Mr. Richard Rogers, from whom afterwards when Dying, he Received a Blessing among his Children; yea, to encourage his Acceptance of this Place, the very Reader of the Parish did Subscribe, with many Scores of others, their Desires of it; and yet he accepted not the Pastoral Charge of the Place, without a Solemn Day of Prayer with Fasting, (wherein the Neighbouring Ministers assisted) at his Election: Great notice was now taken of the Success, which God gave unto his Labours, in this Famous Town; among other Instances whereof, One was this. A Tradesman much given to Stealing, as well as other Profane and Vicious Practices, One Day seeing People flock to Mr. Wilsons Lecture, thought with himself, Why should I Tarry at Home to Work, when so many Go to Hear a Sermon? Wherefore, for the sake of Company, he went unto the Lecture too; but when he came, he found a Sermon, as it were, particularly Directed unto himself, on Eph. 4.28. Let him that hath Stole, Steal no more; and such was the Im­pression thereof upon his Heart, that, from this Time, he became a Changed and Pious man.

§. 9. But if, they that will Live Godlily must Suffer Persecution, a Peculiar share of it must fall upon them, who are Zealous and Useful Instru­ments to make other Live so. Mr. Wilson had a share of this Persecution; and one A—n, was a [Page 12] Principal Author of it. This A—n had former­ly been an Apprentice in London, Where the Bishops deteined him some years, under an hard Imprisonment, because he Refused the Oath ex Officio, which was pressed upon him to tell, Whe­ther he had never heard his Master Pray against the Bishop? The Charity of Well Disposed People now Supported him, till he got abroad, Recom­mended by his Hard Sufferings, unto the Good Affections of the Puritans, at whose Meetings he became so Conversant, and thereupon such a for­ward and zealous Professor, that, at Length he Took upon [...], under the Confidence of some Latinity, whereof he was Owner, to be a Sort of a Preacher among them. This man would Re­verence Mr. Wilson as his Father, and yet upon the Provocation of seeing Mr. Wilson more highly Valued and Hououred, than himself, he not only became a Conformist himself, but also, as Apostates use to be, a Malignant and Violent Persecutor of those, from whom he had Apostatized. By his means, Mr. Wilson was put unto Trouble in the Bishops Courts; from whence his Deliverance was, at Length Obtained by certain Powerful Mediators. And once by his Tricks the most noted Pursevant of those Times, was employed for the Siezing of Mr. Wilson; but though he Siezed upon many Scores of the People coming from the Lecture, he Dismissed the rest, because he could not meet with Mr. Wilson himself, who by a Special Provi­dence, [Page 13] went out of his direct way, to Visit a Worthy Neighbour, and so escaped this Mighty Hunter. Afterwards an Eminent Lady, happen­ing Innocently to make some Comparison be­tween the Preaching of Mr. Wilson, and one Dr. B. of B. the Angry Doctor presently applied him­self unto the Bishop of London, who for a while Suspended him. And when that Storm was over; he with several other Worthy Ministers, came to be wholly Silenced, in another, that was Raised upon Complaints made by one Mr. Bird, unto the Bishop of Norwich against them. Concern­ing this Ill Bird, there happened one passage hereupon, which had in it something Extraordi­nary. Falling very Sick, he had the help of a Famous and Skilful Physician, One Dr. Duke of Colchester; who having left his Patient, in his Opinion, safely Recovered, gave Mr. Wilson a Visit with an Account of it. Recovered! Says Mr. Wilson; You are mistaken Mr. Doctor, He's a Dead man! The Doctor answered, I [...] ever I re­covered a Sick man in my Life, that man is Recover­ed: but Mr. Wilson replied, No, Mr. Doctor, He's a Dead man, he shall not Live; Mark my Words! The Doctor smiled; but for all that, before they parted, the News was brought them, that the man was Dead indeed, and, The Lord known by the Judgment, which He Executed. But at last, Mr. Wilson obtained from the truly Noble Earl of Warwick, to Sign a Letter, which the Earl bid [Page 14] himself to draw up, unto the Bishop, on his be half; by the Operation of which Letter, his Li­berty, for the Exercise of his Ministry, was again procured. This Bishop was the Well-known Dr. Harsnet, who a Little while after this, Travelling Northward, upon Designs of mischief against the Reforming Pastors and Christians there, certain Ministers of the South set apart a Day, for Solemn Fasting and Prayer to Implore the Help of Hea­ven, against those Designs; and on that very Day, he was taken with a Sore and an odd Fit, which caused him to stop at a Blind House of Entertain­ment on the Road, where he suddenly Dyed.

§. 10. At Last, being Persecuted in One Coun­try, he must Flee into another. The Plantation of a New-English Colony was begun; And Mr Wil­son, with some of his Neighbours, Embarked themselves in the Fleet, which came over thither in the year 1630. Where he applied himself with all the Vigour Imaginable, to Encourage the poor People, under the Difficulties of their New Plan­tation. This Good People buried near Two Hundred of their Number, wit [...] in a Quarter of a year after their first Landing; which caused Mr. Wilson particularly to Endeavour their Con­solation, by Preaching on Jacobs not being dis­heartned by the Death of his nearest Friends in the way, when God had called him to Remove. And how Remarkably, perhaps I might say, Ex­cessively, [Page 15] Liberal he was in Employing his Estate for the Relief of the Needy, Every such One so beheld him, as to Reckon him, The Father of them all: Yea, the poor Indians themselves also tasted of his Bounty. If it were Celebrated, as the Glo­ry of Bellarmine, that he would Sell his Goods to convert them into Alms for the poor, yea, that, Quadam Die proprium Atramentarium Argenteolum, it ditaret Inopes, inter pig nora obligavit, out Mr. Wilson, though a greater Disclaimer of Merit, than Bellarmine was, not only in his Writings, but on his Death-bed it self, yet came not behind Bellar­mine for the Extension of his Charity. To give Instances of his, even over-doing Liberality, would be to do it Injuries; for indeed they were In­numerable; He acted as if the Primitive Agree­ment of having All Things in Common, had been of all things the most Agreeable unto him. I shall Sum up all in the Lines of an Elegant Ele­gy, which Mr. Samuel Bache, an Ingenious Mer­chant made upon him, at his Death;

But he was most set upon the Main Business of this New-Plantation; which was, To Settle, and Enjoy the Ordinances of the Gospel, and Worship the Lord Jesus Christ according to His own Institutions; and accordingly, He, with the Governour, and others that came with him on the same Account, con [...]ined into a Church-State, with all Conveni­ent Expedition.

§. 11. Mr. Wilsons Removal to New-England, was rendred the more Difficult, by the Indisposi­tion of his Dearest Consort thereunto; but he hoping, that according to a Dream, which he had before his coming hither, That he saw here a little Temple, rising out of the Ground, which by Degrees increased into very high and large Dimensions, the Lord had a Temple to build in these Regions; Resolved never to be Discouraged from his Un­dertaking Wherefore, having first sent over an Encouraging Account of the Good Order, both Civil and Sacred, which now began to be Esta­blished in the Plantation, he did himself Return into England, that he might further pursue the [Page 17] Effect thereof; and accordingly he made it his Business, wherever he came, to Draw as many Good men, as he could, into this Country, with him. His Wife remained unperswadeable till upon Prayer with Fasting before the Almighty Turner of Hearts, he Received an Answer, in her becoming Willing to accompany him over an Ocean into a Wilderness. A very sorrowful Part­ing they now had from their Old Friends in Sudbury, but a Safe, and a Quick Passage over the Atlantic; and whereas the Church of Boston, ob­serving that he Arrived not, at the Time expect­ed, had set apart a Day of Humiliation on his Be­half, his Joyful Arrival before the Day, caused them to turn it into a Day of Thanksgiving. But Mrs. Wilson being thus perswaded over, into the Difficulties of an American Desart, I have heard, that her Kinsman, Old Mr. Dod, for her Conso­lation under those Difficulties, did sent her a Present, with an Advice, which had in it, some­thing of Curiosity. He sent her, at the same Time, a Brass Counter, a Silver Crown, and a Gold Jaco­bus; all of them severally wrapped up: With this Instruction unto the Gentlemen who carried it; That he should first of all Deliver only the Counter, and if She Received it with any Show of Discontent he should then take no further Notice of her [...] but if She gratefully Resented that Small Thing, for the sake of the Hand it came from, he should then go on to deliver the [Page 18] Silver, and so the Gold: But withal assure her, That such would be the Dispensations of God unto her, and the other Good People of New-England: If they would be Content, and Thankful, with such Little Things, as God at first bestow'd upon them, they should in Time, have Silver and Gold Enough. Mrs. Wil­son accordingly, by her Cheerful Entertainment of the Least Remembrance from Good Old Mr. Dod, gave the Gentleman, Occasion to go through, with his whole Present, and the annexed Advice, which hath in a Good measure been accom­plished.

§. 12. It was not long before Mr. Wilsons Return to England once more, was obliged by the Death of his Brother, whose Will, because it be queathed a Legacy of a Thousand Pounds unto New England, gave Satisfaction unto our Mr. Wilson, though it was otherwise Injurious unto himself. A Tedious and Winter Voyage he now had; being Twice forced into Ireland, where first at Galloway, then at Kingsale, afterwards at Banl [...] [...] Bridge, he Occasionally, but Vigorously and Successfully Served the Kingdom of God. At last, he got safe among, his Old Friends, at Sudbury; according to the Prediction, which he had let Fall in his Former Farewel unto them, It may be John Wilson may come and see Sudbury once again! From whence, Visiting Mr. Natha­nael Rogers at Assing [...]m, where he Arrived before [Page 19] their Morning-Prayers, Mr Rogers asked him, to [...] something upon the Chapter that was Read, which happened then to be the first Chapter, in the first Book of Chronicles: and from a Para­graph of meer Proper Names, that seemed altoge­ther Barren of any Edifying matter, he Raised so many Fruitful and Useful Notes, that a Pious Person then present, amazed thereat, could have no Rest, without going over into America after him Having dispatched his Affairs in England, he again Embarked for New-England, in Com­pany with Four Ministers, and near Two Hun­dred Passengers, whereof some were Persons of Considerable [...]uality; but they had all been lost by a Large Leak sprang in the Ship, if God had not, on a Day of Solemn Fasting and Prayer, kept in board for that purpose, mercifully Discover­ed this Dangerous Leak unto them.

§. 13. That Phoenix of his Age, Dr. Ames, would say, That if he might have his Option of the [...]st Condition, that he could Propound unto himself, [...] this side Heaven, it would be, that he might be the Teacher of a Congregational Church, whereof Mr. Wilson, should be the Pastor. This Happines, this Priviledge, now had Mr. Cotton in the Church of Boston. But Satan Envious at the Prosperity of that Flourishing Church, raised a Storm of Antinomian and Familistical Errors, which had like to have thrown all into an Irrecoverable [Page 20] Confusion, if the Good God had not Remarka­bly Blessed the Endeavours of a Synod; and Mr. Wilson, for a while, met with hard measure for his Early Opposition to those Errors, until by the Help of that Synod, the Storm was Weathered out. At the Beginning of that Assembly, after much Discourse against the Unscriptural Enthu­siasms and Revelations, then by some contended for, Mr. Wilson proposed, You that are against these Things, and that are for the Spirit and the Word to­gether, hold up your Na [...]uls! And the Multitude of Hands then held up, was a Comfortable and Encouraging Introduction unto the other Pro­ceedings. At the Conclusion of that Assembly, a Catalogue of the Errors to be Condemned, was produced; Whereof, when One asked, What shall be done with them? The wonted Zeal of Mr. Wilson made this I'lunt Answer, Let them Go to the Devil of Hell, from whence they came! In the midst of these Temptations also, he was by a Lot chosen to Accompany the Forces, then sen [...] forth upon an Expedition against the Pe quod In­dians; which he did with so much Faith and Joy, that he professed himself as fully Satisfied that God would give the English a Victory over those Enemies, as if he had seen the Victory already obtained. And the whole Country Quickly shared with him in the Consolations of that Remarkable Victory!

[Page 21] §. 14. In the Wilderness, he met with his Difficulties; For beside, the Loss of Houses, Di­ [...]erse Times by Fire, which yet he bore with such Cheerful Submission, that Once One that met [...] on the Road, informing of him, Sir, I have sad News for you; while you have been abroad, your House is burnt! His first Answer was, Blessed be God: He has burnt this House, because He intends to Give me a Better! (which accordingly came to [...];) he was also put upon Complying with the Inclinations of his Eldest Son to Travel; who accordingly Travelled, first into Holland, then into Italy, where he proceeded a Doctor of Physick, and so Returned into England, Excellently well Adorned with all the Accomplishments of a most [...]ous and Useful Gentlemen. But this Worthy Person Dyed, about the year 1658. And this [...]stned the Death of his Mother, e're the year same about; which more than Doubled the Grief of his Father. And these Afflictions were yet further Embittered by the Death of his Eldest Daughter, Mrs. Rogers, in Child-bed with her first Child; at whose Interment, though he could not but Express a deal of Sorrow, yet he did it with so much Patience, that, In Token, he said, of his Grounded & Joyful Hopes, to meet her again in the Morning of the Resurrectin, and of his Willingness to Resign her into the Hands of Him, who would make all Things work together for Good, he himself took [Page 22] the Spade, and threw in the First Shovelful of Earth upon her. And not long after, he buried Three or Four of his Grand-Children by another Daughter Mrs. Danforth (yet Living with her Worthy Son in Law Edward Bromfield Esq. in Boston) Whereof One Lying by the Walls, on a Day of Publick Thanksgiving, this Holy man then Preached a most Savoury Sermon, on Job 121. The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, Blessed be the Name of the Lord. The next Child, although so Weakly, that all Despaired of it's Life, his Prophetical Grand Father, said, Call him, John, I Believe in God, he shall Live, and be a Prophet too, and do God Service in his Genera­tion Which is, at this Day, fullfilled in Mr. John Danforth, the present Pastor to the Church of Dorchester Encountring with such, and ma­ny other Exercises, his years Rolled away, till he had Served New England, Three years before Mr. Cottons Coming over, Twenty years with him Ten years with Mr. Norton, and Four years after him.

§. 15. In his Younger Time, he had been used unto a more Methodical way of Preaching, and was therefore Admired above many, by no Let Auditors than Dr. Goodwin, Mr. Burroughs, and Mr. Bridge, when they Travelled from Cambridg [...] into Essex, on purpose to observe the Minister in that County; but after he became a Pastor joined with such Illuminating Teachers, he gave [Page 23] himself a Liberty, to Preach more after the Pri­mitive Manner; without any Distinct Propositi­ons, but Chiefly in Exhortations and Admonitions, and Good wholesome Counsils, tending to Excite Good Motions, in the Minds of his Hearers; (but upon the same Texts that were Doctrinally hand­led by his Colleague instantly before:) and yet sometimes his Pastoral Discourses had such a Spirit in them, that Mr. Shepard would say, Me­thinks I hear an Apostle, when I hear this Man! Yea, even One of his Ex Temp [...]re Sermons, has been since his Death, counted worthy to be Pub­lished unto the World. The Great Lecture of Boston, being disappointed of him, that should have Preached it, Mr. Wilson Preached that Lecture, on a Text occurring in the Chapter that had been read that Morning in his Family; Jer. 29.8.— Neither hearken to you Dreams, which you cause to be Dreamed; from whence he gave a Seasonable Warning, unto the People against the Dreams, wherewith sundry Sorts of Opini­ [...]nists, had been Endeavouring to Seduce them. It was the Last Boston Lecture that ever he Preached (Nov. 16. 1665.) and one, who writ after him, in Short hand, about a Dozen years after Published it. But his Last Sermon he Preached at Roxbury Lecture, for his most Wor­thy Son in Law, Mr. Danforth; and after he had read his Text, which was in the Beginnings and Conclusions of sundry of the Last Psalms, with a [Page 24] Seraphical Voice, he added, If I were sure this were the Last Sermon that ever I should Preach, and these the Last Words that ever I should Speak, yet [...] would still say, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Praise y the Lord! Thus he Ended his Ministry on Earth, thus he Began his Possession of Heaven, with Hallelujahs.

§. 16. Indeed, if the Picture of this Good and therein Great Man, were to be exactly given Great Zeal, with Great Love, would be the Two Principal Strokes, that joined with Orthodoxy should make up his Pourtraiture. He had the Zeal of a Phineas, I had almost said, of a Seraphim, in Testifying against every Thing that he thought Offensive unto God. The Opinionists, which attempted at any Time, to Debase the Scripture, or Confound the Order, embraced in our Churches, underwent the most pungent A­nimadversions of this his Devout Zeal; whence, when a certain Assembly of People, which he approved not, had set up in Boston, he charged all his Family, that they should never Dare, so much as Once to enter into that Assembly; I charge you, said he, That you do not Once Go to Hear them; for whatsoever they may pretend, they will Rob you of Ordinances, Rob you of your Souls, Rob you o [...] your God. But though he were thus, like John, a Son of Thunder, against Seducers, yet he was like that Blessed, and Beloved Apostle also, [Page 25] all made up of Love. He was full of Affection, and ready to help and Relieve, and Comfort the Distressed; His House was Renowned for Hospita­lity, and his Purse was continually emptying it self into the hands of the Needy: From which Disposition of Love in him, there once happened this Passage; When he was Beholding a Great Muster of Souldiers, a Gentleman, then present, said unto him, Sir, I'l tell you a Great Thing; here's a mighty body of People, and there is not SEVEN of them all, but what Loves Mr. Wilson; but that Gracious man presently and pleasantly replyed, Sir, I'l tell you as Good a Thing as that, here's a mighty Body of People, and there is not so much as ONE of them all, but Mr. Wilson Loves him. Thus he did, by his own Exemple, notably Preach that Lesson, which a Gentleman found in the Anagram of his Name, With no One [...]: And thus did he Continue, to Do Every One Good, until his Death gave the same Gentleman Oc­casion thus to Elegize upon him:

§. 17. He was One, that Consulting not only his own Edification but the Encouragement of the Ministry, and of Religion, with an Indefa­tigable [Page 26] Diligence Visited the Congregations of the Neighbouring Towns, at their Weekly Lectures, until the Weaknesses of Old Age rendered him Uncapable. And it was a delightful Thing, then to see upon every Recurring Opportunity, a large Company of Christians, and even Magistrates and Ministers among them, and Mr. Wilson in the Head of them, Visiting the Lectures in all the Vi­cinage, with such Heavenly Discourses on the Road, as caused the Hearts of the Disciples, to Burn within them: and indeed it was Remark'd, That though the Christians Then Spent Less Time, in the Shop, or Field, than they do Now, yet they did in Both prosper more. But for Mr. Wilson, I am saying, That a Lecture was a Treasure unto him; he Priz'd it, he Sought it, until Old Age at Length brought with it a Sickness, which a Long while confined him. In this Illness, he took a Solemn Farewel of the Ministers, who had their Weekly Meetings, at his Hospitable House, and were now come together from all parts, at the Anniversary Election for the Government of the Colony. They asked him, to declare Solemn­ly, what he thought might be the Sins, which provoked the Displeasure of God against the Country. Whereto his Answer was, I have long feared several Sins; Whereof; One, he said, was Corahism; ‘That is, when People rise up as Corah against their Ministers, as if they took too much upon them, when indeed they do but [Page 27] Rule for Christ, and according to Christ; yet it is nothing for a Brother to stand up and Oppose, without Scripture, or Reason, the Word of an Elder, saying [ I am not Satisfied!] And hence, if he do not like the Administra­tion (be it Baptism or the Like) he will turn his back upon God and His Ordinances, and Go away. And for our Neglect of Baptising the Children of the Church, those that some call Grand-children, I think God is provoked by it. Another Sin ( said he) I take, to be the making Light of; and not Subjecting to the Authority of Synods, without which the Churches cannot long Subsist.’

§. 18. Afterwards, having Solemnly with Prayer, and Particularly and very Prophetically Blessed his Relations and Attendants, he now thus comforted himself, I shall e're Long be with my Old Friends, Dr. Preston, Dr. Sibs, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Gouge, Dr. Ames, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Norton, my Inns of Court Friends, and my Consort, Children, Grand children in the Kingdom of God. And when some then present, magnified God, for making him a Man of such Use, and Lamented themselves, in their own Loss of him, he replied, Alas, Alas; Use no such Words concerning me; for I have been an Unprofitable Servant, not worthy to be called a Servant [...] the Lord: but I must say, The Lord be merciful to me a Sinner, and I must say, Let Thy [Page 28] Tender Mercies come unto me, O Lord, Even Thy Salvation according to Thy Word. The Evening before he Dyed, his Daughter asking him, Sit, How do you Do? he held up his Hand, and said Vanishing Things! Vanishing Things! But he then made a most affectionate Prayer, with and for his Friends; and so Quietly Fell Asleep on August 7.1667. in the Seventy ninth year of his Age. Thus Expired that Reverend Old man: of whom, when he left England, an Emi­nent Personage said, New-England, shall Flourish, free from all General Desolations, as long as that Good man Liveth in it! Which was Comfortably accomplished. He was Interr'd with more than Ordinary Solemnity; and his Neighbour, Mr. Richard Mather of Dorchester, thereat Lamented the Publick Loss in his Departure, with a Sermon upon Zech. 1.5. Your Fathers where are they, and the Prophets, do they Live for ever?

§. 19. Being a Man of Prayer, he was very much a Man of God; and a certain Prophetical Afflatus, which often directs the Speeches of such men, did sometimes Remarkably appear in the Speeches of this Holy Man. Instances hereof have been already given. A few more shall now be added.

Beholding a Young man, Extraordinarily Du­tiful in all possible wayes of being Serviceable, unto his Aged Mother, then Weak in Body, and Poor [Page 29] in Estate, he, declared unto some of his Family what he had Beheld; adding therewithal, I charge you to take notice of what I say; God will certainly Bless that Young man; John Hull (for that was his Name) shall grow Rich, and Live to do God good Service in his Generation! It came to pass accordingly, That this Exemplary Person, became a very Rich, as well as Emphatically a Good Man, and afterwards Dyed a Magistrate of the Colony.

When one Mr. Adams, who waited on him from Hartford unto Weathersfield, was followed with the news of his Daughters being fallen suddenly and doubtfully Sick, Mr. Wilson, looking up to Heaven, began mightily to Wrestle with God for the Life of the Young woman: Lord (said he) with thou now take away thy Servants Child, when thou seest he is attending on thy Poor unworthy Ser­vant in most Christian Kindness; Oh! do it not! And then turning himself about unto Mr. Adams, Brother (said he) I trust your Daughter shall Live, I believe in God She shall Recover of this Sickness! And so it marvellously came to pass, and She is now the fruitful Mother of several desireable Children.

A Pequot-Indian, in a Canoo, was espied by, the English, within Gun-shot, carrying away an English-Maid, with a Design to Destroy her or Abuse her. The Souldiers, fearing to kill the Maid if they shot at the Indian, asked Mr. Wilsons [Page 30] Counsel, who forbad them to Fear, and assured them, God will direct the Bullet▪ They Shot ac­cordingly; and killed the Indian, though then moving swiftly upon the Water, and saved the Maid free from all harm whatever.

Upon the Death of the first and only Child (being an Infant) of his Daughter Mrs. Dan­forth, he made a Poem, wherein were these Lines among the rest,

And behold, as if that he had been a Vates, in both Senses of it, a Poet, and a Prophet, it pleas'd God afterwards, to give his Daughter, a Second, a Third, and a Fourth Child, and then to take them all away at once, even in one Fortnights [Page 31] Time; but afterwards, happily to make up the Loss.

Once passing over the Ferry unto a Lecture, on the other side of the Water, he took notice of a Young man in the Boat, that Worded it very unhandsomely unto his Aged Father: whereat this Faithful [...], being much Troubled, said un­to him Young man, I advise you to Repent of your Undutiful Rebellious Carriage towards your Father; I expect else to hear, that God has [...]ut you off, before a Twelve month come to an End! And before this time expired, if came to pass, that this unhappy Youth, going to the Southward, was there Hack'd in pieces, by the Pequod Indians.

A Company of People in this Country, were mighty hot upon a Project of Removing to Pro­vidence, an Island in the West Indies; and a Vene­ratle Assembly of the Chief Magistrates, and Mi­nisters in the Colony, was addressed for their Counsil about this undertaking; which Assembly laid before the Company very weighty Reasons to Disswade them from it. A Prime Ringleader in that Business, was One Venner a Cooper of Sa­lem, the Mad Blade, that afterwards perished in a Nonsensical Uproar, which he, with a Crue of Bedlamites, possessed like himself, made in London. This Venner, with some others, now stood up, and said, That notwithstanding, what had been Offer­ed they were clear in their Call to Remove. Where upon, Mr. Wilson stood up and answered, Ay, Do [Page 32] you come to Ask Counsel in so weighty a matter at this, and to have Help from an Ordinance of God in it? and are you aforehand Resolved, that you will Go on? Well, you may Go, if you will; but you shall not prosper. What? Do you make a Mock o [...] Gods Ordinance? And it came to pass accordingly; The Enterprize was, not long after, dashed in pieces; and Ve [...]ners precipitating Impulses, after­wards carried him to a miserable End.

A Council sitting at a Town, where some Eccle­siastical Differences called for the Assistances of the Neighbours to Compose them, there was one man, observed by Mr. Wilson, to be extreamly perverse, and most Unreasonably Troublesome, and Mischievous, to the Peace of the Church there; Whereupon Mr. Wilson told the Council; he was confident, That the Jealousy of God would set a Mark upon that Man, and that the Ordinary Death of men should not befall him. It happened shortly after, that the man was barbarously Butchered by the Salvages!

While Mr. Wilson was Minister of Sudbury, in England, there was a Noted Person, who had been absent, for some while among the Papists. This man Returning Home, Offered himself to the Communion; whereat Mr. Wilson, in the open Assembly Spoke unto him after this manner; ‘Brother, you, here; present your self, as if you would partake in the Holy Supper of the Lord. You cannot be Ignorant of what you [Page 33] have done in withdrawing your self from our Communion, and how you have been much conversant, for a Considerable while, with the Papists, whose Religion is Antichristian. There­fore, though we cannot so absolutely Charge you, God knows, who is the Searcher of All Hearts; and if you have Defiled your self with their Worship and Way, and not Repent­ed of it, by offering to partake, at this Time, in the Holy Supper with us, you will Eat, and Drink your own Damnation; but if you are clear, and have nothing wherewith to charge your self; you your self know; upon this Account you may Receive.’ The man did then partake at the Lords Table, professing his Innocency. But as if the Devil had entered into him, he soon went and Hanged himself.

In the Circumstances of his own Children, he saw many Effects of an Extraordinary Faith.

His Eldest Son, Edmund, while Travelling into the Countries, which the Bloody Popish Inquisiti­on, has made a Clime too Torrid for a Protestant, was Extreamly Exposed: but the Prayers of the Young Gentlemans continually Distressed Father, for him, were answered, with Signal Preservati­ons. When he was under Examination by the Inquisitors, a Friend of the Chief among them, suddenly arrived; and the Inquisitor not having seen this Friend for many years before, was [Page 34] hereby so diverted and mollified, that he car­ried the Young Mr. Wilson to Dinner with him; and, though he had passed hitherto Unknown by his True Name, yet this Inquisitor could now call him, to his great Surpize, by the Name, of Mr. Wilson, and report unto him the Character of his Father, and his Fathers Industry in Serv­ing the Hereticks of New-England. But, that which I here most of all design, is an Account of a thing yet more Memorable and Unaccounta­ble. For, at another Time, his Father Dream' [...] himself Transported into Italy, where he saw a Beautiful Person in the Sons Chamber, Endea­vouring, with a thousand Enchantments to debauch him; whereupon the Old Gentleman made, and was by his Bed-fellow overheard making, first, Prayers to God full of Agony, and then Warnings unto his Tempted Son, to Beware of Defiling himself with the Daughter of a Strange God. Now, some Considerable while after this, the Young. Gentleman Writes to his Father, that on such a Night, (which was upon Enquiry found the very same Night,) a Gentlewoman had caressed him, thus and so (just according to the Vision,) and that his Chastity had been Conquered, if he had not been Strongly Possessed with a Sense of his Fathers Prayers over him, and Warnings unto him, for his Escape from the Pits, whereinto do fall the Abhorred of the Lord.

His other Son, John, When a Child, fell upon [Page 35] his Head from a Loft, Four Stories high, into the Street; from whence he was taken up for Dead, and so battered and bruised and bloody with his Fall, that it struck Horror into the Be­holders: but Mr. Wilson had a Wonderful Re­turn of his Prayers, in the Recovery of the Child, both unto Life, and unto Sense; inso­much, that he continued unto Old Age, a Faith­ful, Painful, Useful Minister of the Gospel; and but lately went from the Service of the Church in Medfield, unto the Glory of the Church Tri­umphant.

After Mr. Wilsons arrival at New-England, his Wife, who had Left off bearing of Children for many years, brought him another Daughter; which Lamb, was indeed unto him, as a Daughter; and He would present her unto other Ministers, for their Blessing, with Great Affection, Saying This is my New-England Token! But this Child, fell Sick of a Malignant Feaver, wherein She was gone so far, that every one despaired of her Life; Except her Father, who called in several Ministers, with other Christians, unto a Fast, on that Occasion; and hearing the Prayers of Mr. Cotton for her, found his Heart so Raised, that he Confidently declared, While I heard, Mr. Cot­ton at Prayer, I was Confident the Child should Live! And the Child accordingly did Live; yea, She is to this Day alive, a very Holy Woman, Adorned like them of Old Time, with a Spirit of Great Price!

[Page 36] The Blessings Pronounced by Mr. Wilson, upon many Persons and Affayrs, were observed so Prophetical, and especially his Death-bed Blessings upon his Children and Grand-children were so, that the most Considerable Persons in the Coun­trey, thought it not much, to come from far, and bring their Children with them, for the En­joyment of his Patriarchal Benedictions, For which cause, Mr. Thomas Shepard, in an Elegy upon him, at his Death, Pathetically thus Ex­pressed it;

These were Extraordinary Passages; Many of them, are Things, which Ordinary Christians may more safely Ponder, and Wonder, than Expect, in Our Dayes! Though sometimes Great Re­formers, and Great Sufferers, must be Signalized with them. I know very well, what Livy sayes Datur [...] Venia Antiquitati, ut miscendo Humana Divini [...], Primordia Urbium Augustiora faciat: but I have been far from Imposing the Least [Page 37] Fable upon the World in Reporting such Extra­ordinary Passages of Mr. Wilson, or any other Great Confessor, by whom the Beginnings of this Country were made Illustrious; there are Wit­nesses Enough, yet Living, of them.

§. 20. There is a certain Little Sport of Wit, in Anagrammatizing the Names of Men; which was used as long ago at Least as the Dayes of Old Lycophron: and which sometimes has afforded Reflections very Monitory, as Alstedius by his just Admirers changed into Sedulitas, or very Satyrical, as when, Satan Ruleth me, was found in the Transposed Name of a certain Active Persecutor: and when, Lo & Damned Crew, was found in the Name of One that made a Fi­gure, among the Popish Plotters against the Na­tion. Yea, Tis possible, that they who affect such Grammatical Curiosities, will be willing to plead a Prescription, of much Higher and Elder Antiquity for them; Even the Temurah, or, Mu­tation, with which the Jewes do Criticise upon the Oracles of the Old Testament. There, they say, You' [...] find the Anagram of our First Fathers Name Ha [...]adam, to express Adamah, the Name of the Earth, whence he had his Original. An Ana­gram, of a Good Signification, they'l [...]ow you [Gen. 6.8] and of a Bad one [Gen. 38.7.] in those Glorious Oracles; and they will Endeavour to perswade you, that Maleachi in Exodus is Ana­grammatically [Page 38] Expounded Michael, in Daniel. But of all the Anagrammatizers that have been Trying their Fancies, for the Two Thousand years which have Run out, since the Dayes of Lycophron, yea, or for the more than Five Thou­sand, since the Dayes of our First Father, I be­lieve there never was Man, that made so many, of so nimbly, as our Mr. Wilson; who, together with his Quick Turns, upon the Names of his Friends, would Ordinarily Fetch, and rather than Lose, would even Force, Devout Instructions out of his Anagrams. As once, upon Hearing my Fa­ther Preach a Sermon about, The Glories of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mr. Wilson immediatly gave him that Anagram upon his Name, Crescentius Matherus, Anagr. En! Christus Merces tua: So, there could Scarcely occurr the Name of any Remarkable Person, at least, on any Remarkable Occasion unto him, without an Anagram Raised thereupon; and he made this Poetical, and Peculiar, Disposition of his Ingenuity, a Subject whereon he Grafted Thoughts far more Solid and Solemn and Useful, than the Stock it self. Wherefore methoughts, is Looked like a Piece of Injustice, that his Own Funeral produced (among the many Poems afterwards Printed) no more Anagrams upon his Name, who had so often thus Handled the Names of Others; and some Thought the Muses Look'd very much Dissa­tisfied, when they saw these Lines upon his Hearse.

[Page 39] JOHN WILSON Anagr. John Wilson.

There was a Little more of Humour, in the Fancy of Mr. Ward, the Well-known Simple Cob­ler of Agawam, as that Witty Writer Styled him­self, who observing the Great Hospitality of Mr. Wilson, in Conjunction with his Meta-grammatismg Temper, said, That the Anagram of JOHN WIL­SON was, I PRAY, COME IN, YOU ARE HEARTILY WELCOME.

To make up this Want, I might conclude the Life of this Good man, with an Anagram, which he Left on, and for himself.

Johannes Wilsonus

Anagr.

An non in Jesu, Credentum, figitur, uno, Tota Salus? Hic est, Hic Sita Tota Salus.

[Page 40] §. 21. But it is to the Last Place in our History of this Worthy Man, that I reserve that part of his Character, which lay in his Dispo­sition to allot unto Himself the Last Place among all Worthy Men; for his Low Opinion of him­self, was the Top of all his other Excellencies. His Humility not only caused him, to prefer the Meanest of his Brethren, above himself, but also to Comply with the meanest Opportunities of being Serviceable: Hence t'was, that when his Voice in his Age did so [...]ail him, that his Great Congregation could be no longer Edified by his Publick Labours, he Cheerfully and Painfully set himself to do all the Good, that he could by his Private Visits; and such also, as he could not reach with Sermons, he often found with Verses: Hence t'was, that when that plea was used with the Church of Ipswich to resign Mr. Norton unto the Church of Boston, after the Death of Mr. Cotton; Because it was said, Let him that hath two Coats give to him that hath None; and a Person of Quality replied, Boston hath One, [mean­ing Mr. Wilson:] this Good man answered; Who [...] Me! I am Nothing! Yea, Hence t'was, that when Malefactors had been openly Scourged upon the just Sentence of Authority, he would presently send for them to his House, and having first expressed his Bounty to them, he would then bestow upon them such gracious Admoni­tions [Page 41] and Exhortations, as made them to become, instead of Desperate, remarkably Penitent. Indeed, I know not whether his Humility, might not have some Excess, in some Instances charged up­on it; at least Once, when he had Promised unto a Neighbouring Minister, to Preach a Sermon for him, and after his Promise came in Season to that Minister, saying, Sir, I told you, that I would Preach for you, but it was rashly done of me; I have on my knees begg'd the Pardon of it, from the Lord; That I should offer thus to deprive His People, of your Labours, which are so much better than any of mine can be: Wherefore, Sir, I now come Seasona­bly to tell you, that I shall fail you! And accor­dingly, there was no perswading of him to the contrary.

But from the like Humility it was, That a Good [...]insman, of his, who deserves to Live in the same Story, as he now Lives in the same Hea­ven with him, namely Mr. Edwards Rawson, the Honoured Secretary of the Massachuset-Colony, could not by all his Intreaties perswade him, to let his Picture be drawn; but still refusing it, he would reply, What! Such a Poor, Vile Creature as I am! shall my Picture be drawn? I say, No; it never shall! And when that Gentleman in­troduced the Limner, with all things ready, Vehemently importuning him to gratify so far the Desires of his Friends, as to sit a while, for the taking of his Essigies, no Importunity [Page 42] could ever obtain it from him. However, being bound in Justice to Employ my Hand, for the Memory of that Person, by whose Hand I was my self Baptised, I have made an Essay, to draw his Picture, by this Account of his Life; wherein if I have missed of doing to the Life, it might be made up, with several Expressive Passages, which I find in Elegits Written and Printed upon his Death: Whereof there were many Composed, by those, whose Opinion was well Signified by one of them:

But Waving the rest, Let the following POEM, never before Printed, Offer some ODOURS, for the Readers further Entertainment.

Chrysostomus Nov-Anglorum.
THE LIFE OF Mr. JOHN DAVENPORT.

§. 1. A Noted Author of more than Twice Seven Treatises, and Chaplain to two Successive Queens of England, was that Christopher Davenport, whose Assumed Name was, Franciscus a Sancta clara. And in Mr. Rashworth▪ Collection of Speeches, made in the Celebrated Parlaiment, 1640. I find Sir, Benjamin Rudyard; using these Words; ‘ Sancta Clara, hath Publish­ed, That if a Synod were held, Non intermixti [...] Paritanis, Setting Puritans aside, Our Articles and, Their Religion would soon be Agreed. They have so brought it to pass, that under the [Page 2] Name of Puritans, all our Religion is branded Whosoever Squares his Actions by any Rule, either Divine or Humane, He is a PURITAN: Whosoever would be Governed by the Kings Laws, He is a PURITAN!’—Whether, this Account of Matters be allow'd or no; there was, though not a Brother (as a certain Woodden Historian, in his Athenae Oxonienses, has reported) yet a Kinsman of that Sancta Clara; who was among the most Eminent Puritans of those Days; And this was our Holy and Famous Mr. John Da­venport: One of whom I may, on many Ac­counts use the Elogy, with which the Learned still mention Salmasius, Vir [...]unguam Satis Lauda­tus, nec Temere sine Laude nominandus.

§. 2. Mr. John Davenport, was born at Coventry, in the year 1597. of Worthy Parents; a Father, who was Mayor of the City, and a Pious Mother, who having Lived just long enough, to devote him, as Hannah did her Samuel, unto the Service of the Sanctuary, left him under the more immediate Care of Heaven to fit him for that Service. The Grace of God Sanctified him with Good Principles, while he had not yet seen Two Sevens of years in an Evil World; and by that Age he had also made such Attainments in Learning, as to be admitted into Brasen-Nose Col­ledge in Oxford. From thence, when he was but Nineteen years Old, he was called unto Pub­lick [Page 3] and constant Preaching in the City of Lon­don, as an Assistent unto another Divine; where his Notable Accomplishments for a Minister, and his Couragious Residence with, and Visiting of, his Flock in a dreadful Plague time, caused much no­tice to be quickly taken of him. His Degree of Master of Arts, he took not until, in Course, he was to proceed Batchelour of Divinity; and then with Universal Approbation, he Received both of these Laurels together.

§. 3. This Pious man was both an hard Student, and a Great Preacher. His Custome was to sit up very late at his Lucubrations; whereby, though he found no sensible Damage himself, and never felt his Head ake, yet his Counsil was that other Students would not follow his Exemple. But the Effects of his Industry were seen by all [...]en, in his approving himself upon all Occasions, An Universal Scholar. As for the Sermons, where­with be fed the Church of God, he Wrote them for the most part, more largely than the most of Ministers; and he Spoke them with a Gravity, an Energy, an Acceptableness, whereto few Mini­sters ever have arrived: indeed his Greatest Enemies, when they heard him, would acknow­ledge him to be among the best of Preachers. The Ablest men about London were his nearest Friends; among whom he held a very particular Correspondence with Dr. Preston; He, when he [Page 4] Dy'd, le [...]t his Notes with Mr. Davenport, by him to be Published; and accordingly with Dr. Sibbs, you [...] Mr. Davenport signing some of their Dedications.

§ 4. About the year 1626. there were se­veral Eminent Persons, among whom were Two Doctors of Divinity, with two other Divines, and [...]our Lawers, whereof One of Kings Sergeant at Law, and four Citizens, whereof One the Lord Mayor of London, engaged in a Design to pro­cure a Purchase of Impropriations. and with the Profits thereof to mentain a Constant, Able, and Painful Ministry, in those parts of the Kingdom, were there was most want of such a Ministry. The Divines concerned in this Design, were Dr. Gouge, Dr. Sibs, Mr. Offspring, and our Mr. Da­venport; and such an Incredible progress was made in it, that it is judged, all the Impropriations it; England would have been honestly and easily Recovered unto the Immediate Service of the Reformed Religion. But Bishop Laud looking with a Jealous eye on this undertaking, least it might in time give a Secret growth to Non Conformity, he obtained a Bill to be Exhibited in the Exche­quer Chamber, by the Kings Attorney General, against the Fe [...]ffees, that had the Management of it. Upon this Occasion, I find this Great Man Writing in his Great Bible, the Ensuing Passages;

The Issue of the Business was This. The Court Condemn'd their Proceedings, as Dangerous to the Church and State; pronouncing, the Gifts, Feoffments, and Contrivances, made to the Uses a­foresaid, to be Illegal; and so Dissolved the same, Conficating their Money unto the Kings Use. Yet the Criminal Part referred unto, was never prosecuted in the Star-Chamber; because the De­sign was generally approved, and multitudes of Discrete and Devo [...] [...], extreamly Resented the Ruins of it.

[Page 6] § 5. It happened that soon after this, the Famous Mr. John Cotton was fallen under such a Storm of Persecution for his Non Conformity, as made it necessary for him to propose and pur­pose a Removal out of the Land: Whereupon, Mr. Davenport, with several other Great and Good men, considering the Eminent Learning, Prudence, and Holiness of that Excellent Person, could be at no Rest, until they had by a Solemn Conference inform'd themselves of what might move him to such a Resolution. The Issue of the Conference was, that instead of their Disswad­ing him, from exposing himself to such Sufferings, as were now before him, he convinced them of the Truth in the Cause for which he Suffered and they became Satisfied both of the Evil in Sundry Matters of Worship and Order imposed up­on them, and of the Duty, which lay upon them, in their places to endeavour the Reformation of things in the Church according to the Word of God. Mr. Davenports Inclination to Non Confor­mity from this time, felt under the Notice, and Anger of his Diocesan; who presently determined the Marks of his Vengeance for him: Of which being Seasonably and Sufficiently advertised, he convened the Principal Persons under his Pasto­ral Charge in Coleman-street, at a General Vestry, desiring them on this Occasion to declare, what they would advise; for, acknowledging the Right, which they had in him, as their Pastor, he would [Page 7] not, by any Danger, be driven from any Service, which they should expect or demand at his hands; but he would Imitate the Exemple of Luther, who upon Letters from the Church of Written berg, from whence he had with-drawn for his Security, upon the Direction of the Duke of Saxony, returned unto the Couragious Exercise of his Ministry. Upon a Serious Deliberation, they Discharged his Conscentious Obligations, by Agree­ing with him, that it would be best for him to Resign; but although he now Hoped for some­thing of a Quiet Life, his Hope, was disappointed; for he was continually dogg'd by Raging, Busy Pursevants, from whom he had no safety but by Retiring into Holland.

§. 6. Over to Holland he went, in the Lat­ter end of the year 1633. Where the Messen­gers of the Church under the charge of Mr. Paget, met him in his way to Amsterdam, inviting him to become the Collegue of their Aged Pastor. But Mr. Davenport had not been long there, be­fore his Indisposition to the Promiscuous Baptising of Children, concerning whom there was no Cha­ritable or Tolerable Testimony of their belonging to Christian Parents, was by Mr. Paget so improv­ed against him, as to procure him the Displeasure of the Dutch Classes in the Neighbourhood. The Contention on this Occasion, proceeded so far, that though the Dutch Ministers had under their [Page 8] Hands declared.— We desire nothing more, than that Mr. Davenport, whose Eminent Learning and Singu­lar Piety is much approved and commended of all the English our Brethren, may be Lawfully promoted unto the Ministry of the English Church; We do also great­ly approve of his Good Zeal and Care, of his having some precedent private Examination of the Parents, and Sureties of Children to be Baptised, in the Christi­an Religion: Yet the matter could not be Accom­modated; Mr. Davenport could not be allowed except he would promise to Baptise the Children of such whose Parents and Sureties were, upon Examination, found never so much Unchristianised, Ignorant or Scandalous. He, therefore, desisted from his Publick Ministry in Amsterdam, about the Beginning of the year 1635. Contenting himself to set up a Catechetical Exercise in the Family, where he sojourned, on the Afternoon of the Lords Days, and Hour after the Publick Ser­mons were over. But some considerable num­ber of People, at Length, resorting to this Exer­cise, a Jealousy was pretended by his Adversary, that the Design of it was to Promote such Sects, as indeed the chief Design of it was to Prevent; and, upon this pretence, he was hindered, even from this Lesser Opportunity of Doing Service also. The fuller Story of these Uncomfortable, and Unreasonable Brangles, the Reader may find in an Apologetical Discourse of Mr. Davenports, Published for his own Vindication; wherein he [Page 9] do's with a Learned Pen, handle several points much controverted in the Reformed Churches, and show himself a Divine well studied in the Con­troversies of the Present, and the Former Ages. But the Upshot of all was, that he Returned back to London; where he told his Friends, That he thought God carried him over into Holland, on pur­pose to bear Witness against that Promiscuous Bap­tism, which at least Bordered very near upon a Pro­fanation of the Holy Institution.

§ 7. He observed, that when a Reformation of the Church has been brought about in any part of the World, it has rarely been Afterwards carried on any One step further, than the First Reformers did Succeed in their first Endeavours; He observed that as easily might the Ark have been removed from the Mountains of Ararat, where it first Grounded, as a People get any Ground in Reformation, after [...] beyond the first Remove of the Reformers. And this Observa­tion quickened him to Embark in a Design of Reformation, wherein he might have Opportunity to Drive things in the First Essay▪ as near to the Precept and Pattern of Scripture, as they could be driven. The Plantation of New England afforded him this Opportunity, with the Chief Undertakers whereof he had many Consultations, before he had ever taken up any Purpose of Go­ing himself into that part of the World; and he [Page 10] had, indeed, a very great stroke in the En­couraging and Enlivening of that Noble Under­taking. He was one of those by whom the Pa­tent for the Massachuset Colony was procured; and though his Name were not among the Paten­tees, because he himself desired it might be omit­ted, Left his Enemy, the Bishop of London, then of the Kings Privy. Council, should upon his Ac­count appear the more fiercely against it, yet his Purse was in it, his Time was in it, and he contri­buted unto it all manner of Assistences: This he did before his Going to Holland. And while he was in Holland, he received Letters of Mr. Cotton, from the Country whereto he had thus been a Father; telling him, That the Order of the Churches, and of the Common wealth, was now so settled in New England by common consent, that it brought into his Mind the New Heaven and the New Earth, wherein dwells Righteousness. Wherefore, soon after his Return for London, he Shipt himself with several Eminent Christians and their Families, for New England; where, by the Good Hand of God upon them, they arrived in the Summer of the year 1637.

§. 8. Mr. Cotton welcomed Mr. Davenport, as Moses did Jethro, hoping that he would be as Eyes unto them in the Wilderness. For by the Cun­ning and Malice of Satan, all things in this New-English Wilderness, were then Surprised, into a deal of Confusion, on the Occasion of the Antinomian [Page 11] Opinions then spread abroad; but the Learning and Wisdom of this Worthy [...]an, in the Synod then Assembled at Cambridge, did contribute more that a Little to dispel the Fascinating Mists which had suddenly disordered all our Affayres. Having done his part in that Blessed Work, (as we have else where more fully related) He, with his Friends, who were more fit for Zebulons Ports, than for Issachars Tents, chose to go farther West­ward; Where they began a Plantation, and a Colony, since distinguished by the Name of NEW-HAVEN; and Endeavoured, according to his Understanding, a yet stricter Conformity, to the Word of God, in Settling of all Matters, both Civil and Sacred, than he had yet seen Exempli­fied in any other Part of the World. There, the Famous Church of New haven, as well as the other Neighbouring Towns, Enjoyed his Ministry, his Discipline, his Government, and his Universal Di­rection, for many years together; Even, till, after the Restoration of K. Charles II. Connecticut, and New haven, were by One Charter Incorporated. And here, with what Holiness, with what Watch­fulness, with what Usefulness he discharged his Mi­nistry, it is Worthy of a Remembrance, among all that would propose unto themselves a Worthy Exemple. Nevertheless, all that I shall here pre­serve of it, is this One Article. A Young Mini­ster, once Receiving of Wise and Good Counsils, from this Good and Wise and Great Man, he Re­ceived [Page 12] this among the rest, That he should be much in Circulatory Prayer: for indeed, Ejacula­tory Prayers, As Arrows in the Hand of a Mighty Man, so are they, Happy is the man that has his Quiver full of them! And it was Believed, by some Curious Observers, That Mr. Davenport himself, was well used unto that Sacred skill of, Walking with God, and, Having his Eyes ever to­wards the Lord, and, Being in the Fear of the Lord all the Day Long, by the use of Ejaculatory Prayers, on the Innumerable Occasions, which every Turn of our Livers does bring for those Devotions. He was not only Constant in more Settled, whether Social, or Secret, Prayers; but also in the midst of all Besieging Incumbrances, tying the Wishes of his Devout Soul, unto the Arrows of Ejaculatory Prayers, he would shoot them away unto the Hea­vens, from whence he still Expected all his Help. With such a Glory, with such a Defence, was New-haven Blessed!

§ 9. But his Influences were not Confined unto his own Colony of New-haven; they were Extended, as far as his General and Generous, Care of all the Churches, could carry him. And hence, I find him, in a Particular manner, Ex­pressing his Good Affections, unto the Irenio De­signs and Studies, which were in those Dayes ma­naging by some Great Men, for the Restoring of Communion, among the Divided Churches of the [Page 13] Reformation. Perhaps, I cannot give an Exacter Character of this Eminent Persons Disposition, than by my Transcribing, and my Translating, of a few Passages, in a Letter, to the Famous Dury, by him composed, and by the rest of the Mini­sters in his Colony Subscribed.

Flagrante Schismatis Incendio, Ecclesias, qua oporte­bat Arctissimo Pacis et Unitatis Vinculo Colligari, mi­sera in Sectas Invisa Deo Lacerabat Erinuys; Us­que adeo ut qui mutuam contra communes Hostes opem conferrent, prob dolor! Concertationes Midianiticas invicem agunt; Sicut Enim Juvenes quos ad Dimi­candum Abnerus Provocabat, se mutuis Vulneribus Confecerunt; Sic, quorundam Vitio, qui partes potius agunt male Disputantium, quam bene Evangelizan­tium, Jurgia, Lites, Animorum Divortia, Schismata et Scandala, in Ecclesits Evangelicis, Suboriuntur, non sine gravi Infirmoram Offendiculo, nec sine Summo Bo­norum Omnium Maerore, ac Juimicorum Evangelicae Veritatis Oblectamento.—

‘While the Fire of Schism has been Raging, the Hateful Fury has miserably torn to Pieces, the Churches, that should have been held together in the strictest Bonds of Love and Unity; info­much that they who should have united, for mutual Help against the Common Enemy, alas, have even fallen upon one another, as in the Day of Midian. As the Young men, upon the Provo­cation of Abner, Wounded one another to Death; Thus, by the fault of some, who do the part [Page 14] rather of Bad Wranglers, than of Good Preachers, there do arise in the Reformed Churches, those Broils, and Strifes, and Animosities, and Schisms and Scandals, which offend the Weak, and Afflict the Good, and are no little Satisfaction to the E­nemies of Gospel-Truth.’

Nunc Vero, Postquam Custos Israelis, Deus Pacis, dedit in Corda tot Ecclesiarum et Magistratuum, ut Vulneribus ist [...]s Medicinam faciendam esse, Necessarium Judicarint, En! Bonorum omnium Animi, in Spem­erecti, Malorum istorum Salutarem Clausulam Ex­pectant, et Votis intimis. Patrem Misericor diarum Vo­biscum invocant, ut Spiritus [...]ui Gratia, Secundum Verbum Suum, Consilia et actiones Servorum Suorum dirigere, ad Sancti Nominis Sui Gloriam dignetur.—

‘But now that the Keeper of Israel, the God of Peace, hath put it into the Hearts of many Churches and Rulers, to apprehend it Necessa­ry, that a Cure should be Sought, for these Wounds, Behold! the Minds of all Good Men, do with a Raised Hope Expect an Happy Close of these Mischiefs; and with most Hearty Prayers, do beseech the Father of Mercies, that He would, by the Grace of His Spirit, accor­ding to His Word, please to Direct the Coun­sels and Actions of His Servants, for the Glory of His own Holy Name.’

Recte quidem fecisti, Reverend [...] Frater Dur [...]e, quod nos etiam in eodem Vobiscum Corpore, Sub e [...]dem Capite Jesu Christo, Constitutos, ad Negot [...]sm hoc, in [Page 15] Sanctorum Communione, Promovendum, fraterne invitasti.—

‘You have done Right Well, Reverend Bro­ther, in that you have, after a Brotherly man­ner, unto the Promoting of this Affayr, in the Communion of Saints, invited us, who belong to the same Mystical Body, with your selves, under One Head, our Lord Jesus Christ.’

Dica Vero non est Orthodoxis impingenda, quasi Optatissimae illi Paci, qu [...]e inter Scissas Evangelicas Ecclesias qu [...]eritur, Offendiculum Posuerint, et Remo­ram, qui, Necessitate Pestulante, ea [...]utuntur Libertate Refu [...]ndi Errores, quam Pax non debet impedire: adeoque suo Exemplo futuram pacem pr [...]emuniant, a [...] in Excessu positis.—Quippe quod Sincere de Er­roribus Judicare, et Errores tamen in Fratribus In­firmis Tolerare, Utrumque Judicamus esse Apostolic [...]e Doctrin [...]e Consonum, Toleratio Vero Fratrum Infir­morum, non debet esse absque Redargutione, Sed [...]antum absque Rejectione.

‘Nevertheless, tis not to be made an Article of Complaint against the Orthodox, as if they would Hinder or Delay, the Peace desired so much among the Reformed Churches, because they do, as Necessity shall call for it, use that Liberty of Refuting Errors, which Peace ought to be no Bar unto; and by their Exemple, would rescue the future Peace from the Extremes wherewith it would be rendred Faulty—For we Reckon, that as Well to Judge what things are Errors, as [Page 16] to Bear with such Errors in Weaker Brethren, are both of them agreeable, to what we have been taught by the Apostles. The Toleration of our Erroneous Brethren, should not be without Rebuking, but it should be without Rejecting, of those Brethren.’

§. 10. It is a Notable Expression, and a Wonderful Concession, of that Great Cardinal Bellarmine, the last Goliah of the Romish Philistines Ecclesia ex Intentione Fideles tantum Colligit, et [...] nosset Impios et Incredulos; eos aut nanquam admitte­ret, aut casu Admissos Excluderet: ‘The Church (he sayes) Intentionally Gathers only True Be­lievers, and if She knew who were Wicked and Faithless, either She would not Admit them at all, or if they were Accidentally Admitted, She would Exclude them.’ Our Davenport conceiv­ing it a Shame, that any Protestant, should Protest for less Church-Purity, than what the Confessions of a Learned Papist allow'd e're he was aware, to be contended for, did now at New haven, make Church Purity to be one of his Greatest Concernments and Endeavours. It was his De­clared Principle, That more is required of men, in order to their being Members of an Instituted Church, than that they Profess the Christian Faith, and ask the Visible Seals of the Covenant; in the Fellowship of the Church; all which may be done, by Persons Notoriously Scandalous in their [Page 17] Lives, from whom the Command is, Turn away: But only such Persons may be Received as Mem­bers of a Particular Church, who (according to Math. 16. 18,19.) make such a Publick Profession of their Faith, as the Church may, in Charita­ble Discretion judge, has Blessedness annexed unto it, and such as Flesh and Blood hath not Reveled. In Pursuance of this Principle, he was, like his Dear Friend, that Great man, Dr. Thomas Good­ [...]in, perswaded, That (as be speaks) there are [...] Rules in the Word, whereby it is meet for us, to judge who are Saints; by which Rules, those who are Betrusted to Receive Men unto Ordinances, in Churches, are to be Guided, and so to Separate be­tween the Precious and the Unclean, as the Priests of Old, were Enabled and Commanded by Ceremonial Differences, which God then made, to Typify the Like Discrimination of Persons. And therefore, making the Marks of a Repenting and Believ­ing Soul, given in the Word of God, the Rules of his Tryals, he used a more than Ordinary Exactness in Trying, those that were Admitted unto the Communion of the Church: Indeed very Thoroughly, and I had almost said, Se­verely, Strict, were the Terms of his Communion, and so much, I had well nigh said, Overmuch, were the Golden Snuffers of the Sanctuary Em­ploy'd by him in his Exercise of Discipline towards those that were Admitted, that he did, all that was possible to render the Re­nowned [Page 18] Church of New-haven, like the New-Jerusalem; and yet, after all, the Lord gave him to see that in this World, it was impossi­ble to see a Church State, whereinto there En­ters nothing which defiles. This Great Man, hath himself, in one of his own Treatises observed it, The Officers and Brethren of the Church, are but Men, who judge by the outward Appearance. Therefore their Judgment is fallible, and hath been Deceived; as we see in the Judgment of the Apostles, and the Church at Jerusalem, concerning Ananias and Sap­phira; and in that of Philip, and the Church in Samatia, concerning Simon Magus. Their Duty is to proceed, as far as men may, by Rule, with due Moderation and Gentleness, to Try them, who offer themselves to Fellowship, whether they be Believers or not; Refusing known Hypocrites; Though when they have done all they can, Close Hypocrites will Creep in. And now, because I shall thereby Entertain my Reader, I hope, with a Profitable, I am sure, with a very Prodigious, History, I will on this Occasion, Relate a most Horrible Thing done in the Land, which this Good man saw, to Confirm his own Observation.

On June 6. 1662. At New haven, there was a most Unparallel'd Wretch, one Potter by Name, about Sixty years of Age, Executed for Damnable Bestialities; although this Wretch, had been for now Twenty years, a Member of [Page 19] the Church in that Place, and kept up among the holy People of God there, a Reputation, for Serious Christianity. It seems that the Unclean Devil, which had the possession of this Monster, had carried all his Lusts with so much Fury into this One Channel of Wickedness, that there was no Notice taken of his being Wicked in any other. Hence t'was, that he was De­vout in Worship, Gifted in Prayer, Forward in Edifying Discourse among the Religious, and Zealous in Reproving the Sins of the other Peo­ple; Every one counted him, A Saint: And he Enjoy'd such a Peace in his own mind, that in several Fits of Sickness, wherein he seem'd Nigh unto Death, he seem'd Willing to Dy; Yea, Death (he said) Smiled on him. Nevertheless, this Diabolical Creature, had Lived in most infandous Buggeries for no less than Fifty years together; and now at the Gallows, there were killed before his Eyes, a Cow, Two Heifers, Three Sheep, and Two Sowes, with all of which he had Committed his Bru­talities. His Wife had seen him Confounding himself with a Bitch, Ten years before; and he then Excused his Filthiness, as well as he could, unto her, but Conjured her to keep it Secret: but he afterwards Hanged that Fitch himself, and then Returned unto his for­mer Villanies, until [...] last, his Son, saw him hideously converting with a Sow. By these [Page 20] means, the burning Jealousy of the Lord Jesus Christ, at Length made the Churches to know, that He had all this while seen the Covered Filthi­ness of this Hellish Hypocrite, and Exposed him also to the Just Judgment of Death, from the Civil Court of Judicature. Very Remar­kable had been the Warnings, which this Hell­Hound, had Received from Heaven, to Repent of his Impieties. Many years before this, he had a Daughter, who Dreamt a Dream, which caused her, in her Sleep, to cry out most [...] ­terly; and her Father, then with much ado [...] obtaining of her, to tell her Dream, She told him, she Dream't, that she was among a great Multitude of People, to see an Execution, and it prov'd her own Father that was to be hang'd, at whose Turning over, she thus cryed out. This happened, before the Time, that any of his Cursed Practices were known unto her! At another Time, when there was a Malefactor adjudged in those parts to Dy, for the very same Transgressions, which this Rotten Fellow was guilty of, 'the Governour with some of the Magistrates, most unaccountably, without, any manner of Reason, for their so doing, turn'd about unto this Fellow, and said, What think You? Is not this man worthy to Dy? He now Confessed, That these Warnings, did so awaken his Conscience, as to make him, for a Time, Leave off his lately al Debauches; and [Page 21] so, he said, He thought, all was Pardoned, all was well with him. Nevertheless, he Return'd unto his Vomit, and his Quagmire, until the Sentence of Death, at last fell upon him; and then he acknowledged, That he had Lived in the Sin of Bestiality, ever since he was Ten years Old, but had sometimes Intermitted the Perpetration of it, for some years together. During his Imprisonment, he continued in a Sottish, and Stupid, frame of Spirit, and mar­vellously Secure about his Everlasting Pardon and Welfare: but the Church whereto he be­longed, kept a Solemn Day of Humiliation on this Occasion, wherein Mr. Davenport Preach­ed on Josh. 22. 20. Did not Achan Commit a▪ Trespass, in the Accursed Thing, and Wrath fell on all the Congregation of Israel? And in the close of the Fast, that Faithful People of God, Excommunicated this Accursed Achan, from their own Society. But as I have seen Be­witched Self Poisoners, under a Singular Energy of some Devil, obstinately Refuse all offered, Relief, until the Poisons had prevailed so far that all Relief was too late, and then with roaring Agonies they would have given Ten Worlds for it; So this Bewitched Beast, that, had not been afraid of Dying, till he came to the Place of Execution, when he came There, he was Awakened into a most Unut­terable and Intolerable Anguish of Soul, and [Page 22] made most Lamentably Desperate Out-cryes; Among which Out-cryes, he warned men, par­ticularly, to Take heed of Neglecting Secret Prayer; which he said, had been his Bane. He said, he never used Secret Prayer in his Life, and that he frequently omitted Family-Prayer too; Yet, he said, he had Prayed and Sinned, and Sinned and Prayed; namely, by Ejaculations, with which he Contented himself, throwing Set-Prayer aside. But so he Perished!

Reader, If whole Ages, could have produced such another amazing Story as this, I had not here inserted it! Make a Right Use of it; and, stand Amazed at the Judas's, that are sometimes found in the Purest Families of our Lord.

§. 11. After this, the Remaining Dayes of this Eminent Person were worn away under the unhappy Temptations of a Wilderness! It so happened, that the most part of the First Church in Boston, the Metropolis of the Colony, out of Respect unto his vast Abilities, had Applied themselves unto him; to Succeed those Famous Lights, Cotton and Norton and Wilson, who having from that Golden Candlestick, illuminated the whole Country, were now gone to shine in an Higher Orb. His Removal from New-haven was clogg'd with many Temptatiouse Difficulties; (for, Miraculi star, vitae Iter, si longum, sine [Page 22] Offensione, Percurrere:) but he broke through them all, in Expectation to d [...] what he judged would be a more Comprehensive Service unto the Churches of New-England, than could have been done by him, in his now Undistinguished Colony. On this Occasion, if I should mention that La­mentable Observation of Old Epiphanius, who sayes, I have known some Confessors, who delivered up their Body, and their Spirit, for the Lord, and Persevering in Confession and Charity, obtained Great Proof of the Sincerity of their Faith, and Excelled in. Piety, Humanity and Religion, and were continual in Fastings, and in a Word, Flourished in Vertue; and yet these very men, were Blemished with some Vice, as, either they were prone to Reproach men, or, would Swear profanely, or were Over Talkative, or were prone to Anger, or got Gold and Silver, or were defiled with some such Filth; which neverthe­less detract not from the Just Praises of their Ver­tue: I must add upon it, that Mr. Davenport, was a Confessor, Flourishing in Vertue, upon whom, they that upon the Score of his Removal, were most of all dissatisfied at him, would not yet charge those Unhappy Blemishes: and if any Good men in the Sifting Times, did court him either too Strait, or too High, in some of his Apprehensions, Nevertheless these things also de­tract a from the Just Praises of his Vertue.

[Page 24] §. 12. So rich a Treasure, of the Best Gifts, as was in our Davenport, was well worth Co­veting by the Considerablest Church in the Land. He was a most Incomparable Preacher, and a man of more than Ordinary Accomp­lishments; a Prince of Preachers, and worthy to have been a Preacher to Princes: he had been acquainted with Great Men and Great Things, and was Great himself, and had a Great Fame a­broad in the World; yea, now he was grown Old, like Moses, his Force was not abated. And the Character, which I remember that Old Pa­gan Historian, Diodorus the Sicilian, gave of our Moses, every body was ready to give of our Davenport, He was a man of a Great Soul, and very Powerful in his Life: But his Re­moval did seem too much to Verify an Ob­servation, by the Famous Dr. Tuckney thus Ex­pressed; It is ill Transplanting a Tree that thrives in the Soyl: For, Accepting the Call of Boston- Church in the year 1667. that Church, and the World, must enjoy him no longer than till the year 1670. When, on March 15. Aged Seventy two years, he was by an Apo­plexy fetcht away to that Glorious World, where the Spirits of Cotton and Davenport, are together in Heaven, as their Bodies are now in One Tomb on Earth.

[Page 25] §. 13. His Constant and Various Em­ployments otherwise, would not permit him to Leave many Printed Effects of his Judicious Industry, besides those Few already mentioned: although he were so close and bent a Student, that the rude Pagans themselves took much notice of it, and the Indian Salvages in the Neighbour-hood, would call him, So Big Study▪ Man. Only there is in the Hands of the Faithful, a Savory Treatise of his, Entituled, The Saints Anchor-hold; in the Preface whereof a Duumvirate of Renowned men, to wit, Mr. Hook and Mr. Caryl, give this Attestation, ‘As touching the Author of this Treatise, in whose Heart the Text was written by the Finger of God, before the Discourse was Penned by his own Hand; His Piety, Learning, Gravity, Experience, Judgment, do not more commend him to all that know him, than this Work of his may commend it self to them that read it.’ The Christian Faith has also been Solidly and Learnedly mentain'd by him; in a Discourse, long since, Published, for the De­monstration of our Blessed Jesus, to be the True Messias. Nor would I forget a Sermon of his on 2 Sam. 23. 3. at the Anniversary Court of Election at Boston 1669. afterwards Published: And among the many Epistles which he hath prefix'd unto the Books of other Authors, I [Page 26] know not whether his Excellent Epistle be­fore Mr. Scudders Dayly-Walk, may not, for the worth of it, be Reckoned it self a Book: as the Book it self, was the Directory of his own Duyly-Walk. Moreover, there is Published a Treatise of his, under this Title, The Power of Congregational Churches; in the Preface where of, Mr. Nathanael, Mather, (at this Time, the Worthy, and Well-known, Pastor of such a Church in the City of London) has these very Signifi­cant Expressions concerning him. Certain it is, The Principles held forth in this Treatise, cost the Reverend Author, not only many Sufferings, but also many, very many sad Searchings, and much Reading and Study on set purpose, accompanied with manifold Prayers and Cryes to the Father of Lights, for Light therein. After all which, he was more confirmed in them, and attained to such comfortable Clearness therein, as bore him up with much inward Peace and Satisfaction, under all his Afflictions on the Account of his Perswasion in these points. And so perswaded Lived, and so Dyed, this Grave and Serious Spirited Man! There is likewise Published, A Discourse about Civil Government, in a New-Plantation, whose De­sign is Religion; in the Title-Page whereof, the Name of Mr. Cotton, is, by a Mistake, put for that of Mr. Davenport. And there was lately transcribed for the Press, from his Notes, a Large Volumn of Accurate and Elaborate [Page 27] Sermons, on the whole Book of Canticles. But the Death of the Gentleman chiefly con­cerned in the Intended Impression, proved the Death of the Impression it self.

§. 14. To Conclude: There will be but an Unjust Account given of the Things Preached and Written, by this Reverend Man, if we do not mention one Singular Favour of Heaven unto him. It is well known, That in the Earliest of the Primitive Times, the Faithful did in a Literal Sense, Believe, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Rising and the Reigning of the Saints with Him, a Thousand Years before the Rest of the Dead Live again: A Doctrine, which however some of Later years have counted it Heretical, Yet, in the Dayes of Irenaeus, was question'd by none but such as were counted Hereticks. Tis Evident from Justin Martyr, that this Doctrine of the Chiliad, was in his Dayes Embraced, among all Orthodox Christians; nor did this Kingdom of our Lord, begin to be doubted until the Kingdom of Antichrist began to advance into a Considerable Figure; and then it fell chiefly under the Reproaches of such men, as were faign to Deny the Divine Authority of the Book of Revelation, and of the Second Epistle of Peter. He is a Stranger to Antiquity, who does not find and own [Page 28] the Ancients generally of the Perswasion, which is Excellency Summ'd up, in those Words of Lactantius, Veniet Summi et maximi Dei Filius. Verum ILLE, cum deleverit Injustitiam, Judici­umque maximum fecerit, ac. Justos, qui a Princi­pio fuerunt, ad vitam Restauraverit, MILLE ANNIS inter Homines Versabitur, cosque Justiffimo Imperto reget. Nevertheless, at Last, Men came, not only to lay aside the Mo­desty Expressed, by One of the first Consi­derable Anti-Millenaries, namely Jerom, when he said, Quae Licet non Sequamur, tamen Con­demnare non Possumus, eo quod multi Virorum Ecclesiasticorum et Martyrum, ista dixerint: but also with Violence to persecute the Millenary Truth as an Heretical Pravity. So the Mystery of our Lords Appearing in his Kingdom, lay buried in Popish Darkness, till the light there­of hath had a fresh Dawn, since the Antichrist entred into the Last Half Time of the Period allotted for him; and Now, within the Last few Sevens of years, as things grow nearer to Accomplishment, Learned and Pious Men, in Great Numbers every where, come to Re­ceive, Explain, and Mentain, the Old Faith about it. But here was the Special Favour of Heaven, to our Davenport, That so many years ago, When in both Englands, the True Notion of the Chiliad, was hardly apprehend­ed by as many Divines of Note, as there [Page 29] are Mouths of Nilus, Yet this Worthy Man, Clearly Saw into it; and both Preach't and Wrote, Those very Things, about the Future State, the Coming of the Lord, the Calling of the Jews, and the First and Second Re­surrection of the Dead, which do now of Late years get more ground against the Opposi­tion of the otherwise minded, and find a kinder Entertainment among them that Search the Scriptures: and whereof he afterwards, when he [...] an Old Man, gave the World a Little Tast, in a Judicious Preface before a most Learned and Nervous Treatise, composed by one that was then a Young Man, about, The Mystery of the Salvation of Israel. Even, Then, so long ago, it was, that he asserted, A Per­sonal, Visible, Powerful, and Glorious Coming of the LORD JESUS CHRIST unto JUDG­MENT, Long before the End of the World. But thus we take our Leave of this Renowned Man, and Leave him Resting in Hope, to Stand in his Lot, at that END.

Piscator Evangelicus.
THE LIFE OF Mr. THOMAS HOOKER.

§. 1. WHEN Toxaris met with his Countryman Ana­charsis in Athens, he gave him this Invitati­on, Come along with me, and I will shew Thee at once all the Wonders of Greece: whereupon he shewed him Solon, as the Person in whom there Centered all the Glories of that City or Countrey. I shall now Invite my Reader to Behold at once the Wonders of New-England, and it is in one THOMAS HOOKER that he shall behold them: Even in that Hooker, whom a Worthy Writer would needs call, Saints HOOKER, for the same Reason, (he said) [Page 4] and with the same Freedom, that Latymer, would speak of Saint [...]ILNEY, in his Com­memorations. Tis that HOOKER, of whom I may venture to say, that the famous Romanist, who wrote a Book, De Tribus THOMIS, or, of Three THOMASes, meaning THOMAS the Apostle, THOMAS Becket, and Sir THOMAS MORE, did not a thousandth part so well sort his THOMAS's, as a New Englander might; if he should write a Book, De Duckus THOMIS, or, Of Two THOMAS's; and with THOMAS the Apostle, joyn our Celebrious THOMAS HOOK­ER: my One THOMAS, even our Apostoli­cal HOOKER, would in Just Ballances weigh down two of Campians Rebellious Archbishops, or bigotted Lord-Chancellours.

§ 2. This our HOOKER, was Born at Marfield in Leicester▪ shire, about the Year 1586. of Parents that were neither Unable, nor Un­willing, to bestow upon him a Liberal Edu­cation; whereto the Early and Lively Sparkles of Wit observed in him, old very much En­courage them. His Natural Temper was Cheerful and Courteous, but it was accom­panied with such a sensible Grandeur of Mind, as caused his Friends, without the Help of Astrology, to Prognosticate that he was Born to be Considerable. The Influence which he had upon the Reformation of some Growing [Page 5] Abuses, when he was one of the Procters in the University, was a Thing, that more eminently Signalized him, when his more publick Appea­rance in the Worl§d was coming on: which was attended with an Advancement unto a Fellowship in Emanuel Colle [...]ge in Cambridge; the Students whereof were Originally Design­ed for the Study of Divinity.

§ 3. With what Ability and Fidelity be acquitted himself in his Fellowship, it was a Thing sensible unto the whole University. And it was while he was in this Employ­ment, that the more Effectual Grace of God, gave him the Experience of a true Regenera­tion. It pleased the Spirit of God very Pow­erfully to break into the Soul of this person, with such a Sense of his being Exposed unto the Just Wrath of Heaven, as fill'd him with most unusual Degrees of Horror and Anguish, which broke not only his Rest, but his Heart also, and caused him to cry out, While I suffer thy Terrors, O Lord, I am Distracted! While he long had a Soul Harassed with such Distres­ses, he had a singular Help in the Prudent and Piteous Carriage of Mr. Ash, who was the Sizer, that then waited upon him; and attended him, with such Discreet and Proper Compassions, as made him afterwards to Re­spect him highly all his Dayes. He after­wards [Page 6] gave this Account of himself, That in the time of his Agonies, he could Reason himself to the Rule, and Conclude that there was no way but Submission to God, and Lying, at the Foot of his Mercy in Christ Jesus, and waiting humbly there, till He should please to perswade the Soul of his Favour: nevertheless when he came to apply this Rule unto himself in his own Condition, his Reasoning would fall him, he was able to Do nothing. Having bin a considerable while thus Troubled with such Impressions from the Spirit of Bondage, as were to fit him for the Great Services and Enjoy­ments, which God intended him; at length he Received the Spirit of Adoption, with well groun­ded Perswasions of his Interest in the New-Covenant. It became his manner, at his Lying down for Sleep in the Evening, to Single out some certain Promise of God, which he would Repeat, and Ponder, and Keep his Heart close unto it, until he found that satisfaction of Soul where­with he could say, I will Lay me down in Peace, and Sleep; for thou, O Lord, makest me Dwell in Assurance. And he would afterwards Counsel others to take the same Course; telling them, That the Promise was the Boat, which was to carry a Perishing Sinner over unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

§ 4. Mr. Hooker being now well got through the S torm of Soul, which had Helped him unto a most Experimental Acquaintance with the Truths [Page 7] of the Gospel, and the way of Employing and Applying those Truths, he was willing to Serve the Church of God in the Mini­stry, whereto he was Devoted. At his first leaving of the University, he Sojourned in the House of Mr. Drake, a Gentleman of great Note, not far from London; whose worthy Comfort being Visited with such Di­stresses of Soul, as Mr. Hooker himself had passed through, it proved an unspeakable advantage unto both of them, that he had that opportunity of being Serviceable; for, indeed, he now had no Superiour, and scarce any Equal, for the Skill of Treating a Trou­bled Soul. When he left Mr. Drakes Family, he did more publickly and frequently Preach about London; and in a little time, he grew famous for his Ministerial Abilities, but es­pecially for his Notable Faculty at the wise and fit management of Wounded Spirits. How­ever he was not Ambitious to Exercise his Ministry among the Great Ones of the World, from whom the most of Preferment might be expected: but in this, Imitating the Ex­ample and Character of our blessed Saviour, of whom 'tis noted, that according to the Prophesie of Isatah, by Him, The Poor had the Gospel Preached unto them; he chose to be where great numbers of the Poor might Re­ceive the Gospel from him.

[Page 8] § 5. About this time it was, the Mr. Hooker grew into a most intimate Acquaintance with Mr. Rogers of Dedham; who so highly valued him for his Multitarious Abilities, that he used and gained many Endeavours to get him Settled at Colchester; whereto Mr. Hooker did very much Incline, because of its being so near to Dedham, where he might Enjoy the Labours & Lectures of Mr. Rogers, whom he would some­times call, The Prince of all the Preachers in En­gland. But the Providence of God gave an Obstruction to that Settlement; and, indeed, it was an Observation, which Mr. Hooker would sometimes afterwards use unto his Friends, That the Providence of God often Diverted him from Em­ployment in such Places, as he himself Desired, and still Directed him to such Places, as he had no thoughts of. Accordingly, Chelmsford in Essex, a Town of great Concourse, wanting one to Break the Bread of Life unto them; and hear­ing the Fame of Mr. Hooker's Powerful Mini­stry; Addressed him to become their Lecturer: and he accepted their Offer about the Year 1626. becoming not only their Lecturer, but also on the Lord's Dayes, an Assistent unto one Mr. Mitchel, the Incumbent of the Place; who though he were a Smaller, yet being a Godly Person, gladly Encouraged Mr. Hooker, & Liv'd with him in a most Comfortable Amity.

[Page 9] § 6. Here his Lecture was exceedingly Fre­quented, and proportionably Succeeded; and the Light of his Ministry shone through the whole County of Essex. There was a [...]are mixture of Pleasure and Profit in his Preachi [...]; and his Hearers felt those penetrating Impres­sions of his Ministry upon their Souls, which caused them to Reverence him, as, A Teacher sent from God. He had a most excellent Facul­ty at the Applications of his Doctrine; and he would therein so Touch the Consciences of his Auditors, that a Judicious Person would say of him, He was the Best at an Use that ever he heard. Hereby there was a great Reformation wrought, not only in the Town, but in the Adjacent Countrey; from all parts whereof they came to Hear the Wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His Gospel, by this worthy man Dispensed: and some of great Quality among the rest, would often Resort from far to his Assembly; parti­cularly the truly Noble Ea [...]l of Warwick, whose Countenance of Good Ministers, procured more Prayers to God for him, than most Noble Men in England.

When he first Set up his Lecture, there was more Prophaneness than Devotion in the Town: and the Multitude of Inns and Shops in the Town produced one particular Disorder, of Peoples filling the Streets with unsuitable Beha­viours, [Page 10] after the Publick Services of the Lords-Day were over. But by the Power of his Mi­nistry in Publick, and by the Prudence of his Carriage in Private, he quickly cleared the Streets of this Disorder, and the Sabbath came to be very visibly Sanctified among the People.

§ 7. The Joy of the People in this Light was but for a Season. The Conscientious Non-Conformity of Mr. Hooker to some Rites of the Church of England, then vigorously pressed, especially upon such Able and Useful Ministers, as were most likely to be Laid aside by their scrupling of those Rites; made it necessary for him to Lay down his Ministry in Chelmsford, when he had been about four years there, Em­ployed in it. Hereupon, at the Request of several Eminent Persons, he kept a School, in his own Hired House, having our▪ Mr. John Eliot for his Usher, at little [...]addow not far from Chelmsford; [...] he managed his Charge with such Discretion, such Authority, and such Effi­cacy, that, able to do more with a Word, or a Look, than most other men could have done by a Severer Discipline, he did very great Service to the Church of God, in the Education of such, as afterwards proved themselves not a little Serviceable. I have in my Hands, a Ma­nuscript, written by the Hands of our Blessed ELIOI, wherein he gives a very Great Account [Page 11] of the Little Academy then mentained in the House of Mr. Hooker: and among other things, he says, To this place I was [...], through the In­finite Riches of Gods Mercy in Christ Jesus to my poor Soul: For here the Lord said unto my Dead Soul, Live; and through the Grace of Christ, I do Live, and I shall Live for ever! When I came to this Blessed Family, I then saw, and never before, the Power of Godliness, in its Lively Vigour and Efficacy.

§ 8. While he continued thus in the Heart of Essex, and in the Hearts of the People there, he signalized his Usefulness in many other Instan­ces.

The Godly Ministers round about the Coun­trey, would have Recourse unto him to be Di­rected and Resolved, in their Diffic [...] Cases; and it was by his means that those Godly Ministers held their Monthly Meetings for Fasting and Pray­er, and profitable Conferences. 'Twas the E [...]fe [...]t of his Consultations also, that such Godly Mini­sters, came to be here and there Settled in several parts of the County; and many others came to be better establish'd in some great points of Chri­stianity, by being in his Neighbourhood and Ac­quaintance. He was indeed, a General Blessing to the Church of God! But that which hin­dred is Taking his Degree of Batch [...]lour in Divinity, must also it seems hinder his being a [Page 12] Preacher of Divinity; namely his being a Non-Conformist unto some things, whereof true Divi­nity could not approve. And indeed that which made the Silencing of Mr. Hooker, more unaccountable was, That no less than Seven and Forty Conformable Ministers of the Neighbour­ing Town, understanding that the Bishop of London, pretended Mr. Hookers Ministry, to be Injurious or Offensive to them, Subscribed a Petition to the Bishop, for his Continuance in the Ministry at Chelmsford; in which Petition, though he was of a Perswasion so Different from them, yet they Testify in so many words, That they esteem and know the said Mr. Thomas Hooker, to be for Doctrine, Orthodox; for Life and Conversation, Honest; for Disposition, Peaceable, and in no wise Turbulent or Factions. And yet all would not avail: Bonus vir Hook­erus, sed id [...]o ma'us, quia Puritanus.

§ 9. The Ground work of his Knowledge and Study of the Arts, was in the Tables of Mr. Alexander Richardson, whom he closely followed, admiring him for a man of Transcendent Abi­lity, and a most Exalted Piety; and would say of him, That he was a Master of so much Under­standing, that like the Great Army of Gideon, he was too many to be Employed in Doing what was to be Done for the Church of God. This most Emi­nent Richardson, Leaving the University, Lived a [Page 13] private Life in Essex, whither many Students in Cambridge Resorted unto him, to be Illuminated in the abstruser parts of Learning; and from him it was that the Incomparable Doctor Ames Imbibed those Principles both in Philosophy and in Divinity, which afterwards not only gave clearer Methods and Measures to all the Liberal Arts, but also [...]ed the whole Church of God with the choicest Marrow. Nevertheless, this Excellent Man, as he Lived, so he Dyed in a most Retired Obscurity; but so far as a Metem­ [...] sychisis was attainable, the Soul of him, I mean the Notions, the Accomplishments, the Disposi­tions of that Great SOUL, Transmigrated into our most Richardsonian Hooker.

§ 10 As his Person was thus Adorned with a well▪ grounded Learning, so his Preaching was notably set off with a Liveliness Extraor­dinary: insomuch that I cannot give a fu [...]er, and yet briefer Description of him, than that which I find given of Bucholtzer; that Pattern of Preachers, before him; Vivida in to omnia fuerunt, vivida vox, vividi oculi, vividae manus, gestus omnes vividi: he was all that he was, and he did all that he did, Unto the Life: He not only had that which Quintilian calls, A Natural Moveableness of Soul, whereby the Distinct Images of Things would come so nimbly, and yet so fitly, into his mind, that [Page 14] he could utter them with such fluent Expressi­ons, as the old Orators would usually Ascribe [...] a special Assistance of Heaven, [ Deum tune Ad [...]u [...]sse, u [...]eres Oratores aiebant] and counted that man did therein THE [...]OS L [...]GEIN, or Speal Divinely; but the Rise of this Fluency in him, was the [...] Relish which he had of the things to be spoken, the Sacred Panting of his holy Soul after the Glorious Objects of the Invisible World; and the true zeal of Religion, giving Fire to his Discourses. Whence, though the Ready and Notsy Performances of many Preachers, when they are as Plato [...] speaks, THEAIBOU MESTOI, or Full of the Theatre, Acting to the Height in the Publick for their Applause, may be ascribed unto very Mechanical Principles▪ vet the vigour in the Ministry of our Rocker, being Raised by a Coal from the Altar of a most Real Devotion, touching his Heart; it would be a wrong unto the Good Spirit of our God, it He should not be Acknowledged the Author [...]. That Spirit accordingly gave a wonderful and unusual Success, unto the Ministry wherein be Breathed so Remarkably. Of that Success there were many Instances; but one par­ticularly I find mentioned in Clarks Examples, to this purpose. A profane person, Designing therein only an Ungodly Divers [...]on and Merri­ment, said unto his Companions, Come, Let us go Hear, what thus Ban [...]ling Hooker will say to [Page 15] us; and thereupon with an Intention to make sport, unto Chemsford Lecture they came. The man had not been long in the Church, before the Quick and Powerful Word of God, in the mouth of His Faithful Hooker, pierced the Soul of him; he came out with an Awakened and a Distressed Soul, and by the further Blessing of God upon Mr. Hooker's Ministry, he arrived unto a true Conversion; for which cause he would not afterwards Leave that Blessed Mini­stry, but went a Thousand Leagues to Attend it, and Enjoy it. Another Memorable Thing of this kind, was this; It was Mr Hooker's manner [...] a year to visit his Native County: and in one of those Visits, he had an Invitation to Preach in the Great Church of Leicester. One of the chief Burgesses in the Town, much Op­posed his Preaching there; and when he could not prevail to hinder it, he set certain Fiders a work to Disturb him, in the Church-porch, or Churcheyard. But such was the Vivacity of Mr. Hooker, as to proceed in what he was about, without either the Damping of his Mind, or the Drowning of his Voice; whereupon the Man himself went unto the Church▪Door, to over-hear what he said. It pleased God, so to accompany some woods uttered by Mr. H ooker, as thereby to procure, first the Attention, and then the Conviction of that wretched man; who then came to Mr. H ooker, with a penitent [Page 16] Confession of his Wickedness, and became in [...]eed so penitent a Convert, as to be at length a sincere Professor and Practiser of the Godliness, whereof he had been a Persecutor.

§ 11. The Spiritual Court, Sitting at Chelmsford, about the year 1630. had not only Silenced Mr. Hooker, but also bound him over in a Bond of Fifty Pound, to appear before the H igh Commissi­on, which he could not now attend, because of an Ague then upon him. One of his Hearers, namely Mr. Nash, a very honest Yeoman, that Rented a great Farm of the Earl of Warwick, at Much▪ Waltham, was Bound in that Sum for his Appearance; but as P aul was advised by his Friends, that he would not venture into the Theatre at Ephesus, thus Mr. H ooker's Friends advised him to Forfeit his Bonds, rather than throw him e [...]r any further into the Hands of his Enemies. Wherefore, when the Day for his Appearance came, his honest Surety being Reimbursed by several good People in and near Chelmsford, sent in the forfeited Sum into the Court; and Mr. H ooker having, by the Earl of Warwick, a courteous and private Recess pro­vided for his Family, at a place called Old Park, for which I find, the Thanks of Dr. Hill afterwards publickly given in his Dedi­cation of Mr. Fenners Treatise about Impenitency; He went over to H olland. In his Passage [Page 17] thither, he quickly had Occasion to Discover himself, when they were in Eminent Hazzard of Shiowrack, upon a Shelf of Sand, whereon they Ran in the Night; but Mr. Hooker, like P aul again, with a Remarkable Confidence, Assu­red them, that they should be all Preserved; and they had as Remarkable a Deliverance. I have also heard, that when he fled from the Pursevants, to take his Passage for the Law-Coun­treyes, at his I ast Parting with some of his friends, one of them said, Sir, What if the Wind should not be fair, when you come to the Vessel? whereto he instantly replyed, Brother, Let us leave that with Him, who keeps the Wind in the Hollow of his Hand: And it was observ'd, That although the Wind was Cross, until he came Aboard, yet it immediately then came about fair and fresh, and he was no sooner under Sail, but the Officer arriv'd at the Sea-side, hap­pily too Late now to come at him: which minds me, of what befel Dr. Goodwin, not long after. That Great man, Lay Wind­ [...]ound, in hourly suspicious that the Purse­vants would stop his Voyage, and S [...]iz his Person, before the Wind would favour his getting away for Holland. In this Distress, Humbly Praying to the Lord Jesus Christ, for a more propitious Wind, he yet said, Lord, If thou hast at this time, any poor Servant of thine, that want's this Wind, more than I do another, I do not ask for [Page 18] the Changing of it; I submit unto it. And imme­diately the Wind came about, unto the Right Point; and carried him clear from his Pursu­ners.

§ 12. Arriving in Holland, he was Invited unto a Settlement with old Mr. Paget; but the Old man being secretly willing that Mr. Hooker should not Accept of this Invitation, he con­trived many wayes to render him suspected un­to the Classis, on a suspicion, that he favoured the Brownists; unto whom he had, indeed, an extream Aversion. The Misunderstandings Operated so far, as to occasion Mr. Hooker's Removal from Amsterdam; notwithstanding he had so fully expressed himself, when in his Answer to one of Mr. Paget's Questions, he declared, in these words, To Separate from the Faithfull Assemblies and Churches in England, as no Churches, is an Error in Judgment, and Sin in Practice, held and mentained by the Brownists; and therefore to Communicate with them in their Opinion or Practice, is sinful and utterful unlawful: and care should be taken to prevent Offence, either by Encouraging them in their way, or by Drawing others to a further Approbation of that way than is meet. Going [...], A [...]st [...]d he went unto Delft; where he was made kindly Received by Mr. Forbs, an Aged and Holy Search Minister, under whole Ministry many English Merchants [Page 19] were then Settled. The Text whereon he first Preached at his coming thither, was Phil. 1. 29. To you it is given not only to Believe, but also to Suffer; and after that Sermon, Mr. Forbs ma­nifested a strong Desire to Enjoy the Fellowship of Mr Hooker in the Week of the Gospel; which he did for about the space of two years: in all which time they Lived so like Brethren, that an Observer might say of them, as they said of Basil and Nazianzen, They were but One Soul in two Bodies; and it they had been for any little while asunder, they still met with such Friendly and Joyful Congratulations as Testified a most affectionate satisfaction in each others Company.

§ 13. At the end of two years, he had a Call to Rotterdam; which he the more heartily and readily Accepted, because it Renewed his Acquaintance with his Invaluable Dr. Ames, who had newly Left his Place in the Frisian University. With him he spent the Residue of his Time in Holland, and Assisted him in Composing some of his Discourses, which are, His Fresh Suit against the Ceremonies: for such was the Regard which Dr. Ames had for him, that notwithstanding his vast Ability and Expe­rience, yet when i [...] came to the Narrow of any Question about the Instituted Worship of God, he would still propels himself Conquered by Mr. [Page 20] Hookers Reason; Declaring, that though he had been Acquainted with many Scholars of divers Na­tions, yet he never met with Mr. Hookers Equal, either for Preaching or for Disputing. But having tarried in Holland long enough to see the State of Religion in the Churches there, he became satisfied, that it was neither Eligible for him to tarry in that Country, nor Convenient for his Friends to be Invited thither after him. I have at this time in my Hands, his Letter from Ro­terdam to Mr. Cotton, wherein are these words; ‘The State of these Provinces to my weak eye, seems wonderfully ticklish and miserable. For the better part, Heart-Religion, They con­tent themselves with very Form [...], tho' much Blemished; but the Power of Godliness, for ought I [...] see or hear, they know not; and if it were thoroughly pressed, I fear least it will be fiercely opposed. My Ague yet holds me; the wayes of Gods Providence, wherein He has walked towards me, in this long time of my Sickness, and wherein I have drawn forth many wearyish Hours, under His Al­mighty Hand (Blessed be His Name) toge­ther with Pursuits and Banishment, which have waited upon me, as one Wave follows another, have driven me to an Amazement: His Paths being too secret and past finding out by such an Ignorant, Worthless Worm as my self. I have Looked over my Heart and [Page 21] Life, according to my measure; aimed and guessed as well as I could: and Entreated His Majesty to make known His Mind, wherein I missed; and yet methinks I cannot spell out readily the Purpose of His Proceedings; which I confess have been wonderful in Miseries, and more than wonderful in Mercies to me and mine.’ Wherefore, about this time, un­derstanding that many of his Friends in Essex, were upon the Wing, for a Wilderness in America; where they hoped for an Opportunity to Enjoy and Practice the Pure Worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, in Churches Gathered according to His Direction, he readily answered their Invitation to Accompany them in this Undertaking.

§ 14. Returning into England in order to a further Voyage, he was quickly Scented by the Pursevants; who at length got so far up with him, as to knock at the Door of that very Chamber, where he was now Discoursing with Mr. Stone; who was now become his Designed Companion and Assistent for the New English Enterprize. Mr. Stone was at the Instant Smoking of Tobacco; for which Mr. Hooker had been Reproving him, as being then used by few persons of Sobriety; being also of a sudden and pleasant Wit, he stept unto the Door, with his P ipe in his mouth, & such an Air of Speech and Look, as gave him some Credit with the [Page 22] Officer. The Officer Demanded, Whether Mr. Hooker were not there? Mr. Stone replyed with a braving sort of Confidence, What Hooker? Do you mean Hooker that Liv'd once at Chelmsford! The Officer answered, Yes, He! Mr. Stone imme­diately, with a Diversion like that which once helped Athanas [...]us, made this true answer, If it be he you Look for, I saw him about an Hour ago, at such an House in the Town; you had best hasten thither after him. The Officer took this for a sufficient Account, and went his way: but Mr. Hooker, upon this Intimation concealed himself more carefully and securely, till he went on Board, at the Downs in the year 1633. the Ship which brought him, and Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Stone to New England: Where none but Mr. Stone was owned for a Preacher, at their first coming Aboard; the other two Delaying to take their Turns in the Publick Worship of the [...], till they were got so far into the Main Ocean, that they might with safety Discover, Who they were.

§ 15 Amongst Mr. Ferners Works, I find some Imperfect and Shattered, and I believe, In [...] [...] Notes, of a Farewel Sermon upon Jer. 1 [...]. 9. We are Called by thy Name, Leave us not: Which Farewel Sermon was indeed, Mr. Hookers, at his Leaving of England. There are in those Fragments of a Sermon, some very Pathetical, & [Page 23] most Prophetical Passages, whereof some are these.

It is not Gold and Prosperity, which makes God to be our God; there is more Gold in the West Indies, than there is in all Christendom; but it is Gods Ordinances in the virtue of them, that show the Presence of God.

Again, Is not England Ripe? Is she not weary go God? way, she is fed fat for the slaughter.

Once more, England hath seen her Best Dayes, and now Evil Dayes are befalling us.

And, Thou England, which hast been Lifted up to Heaven with Means, shall be Abased and brought down to Hell; for if the mighty works, which have been Done in Thee, had been Done in India or Tur­key, they would have Repented [...]re this.

These Passages I quote, that I may the more effectually Describe the Apprehensions, with which this Worthy man took his Farewel of his Native Countrey.

§ 16. Mr. H ooker and Mr. Cotton were, for their different Genius, the Luther and Melancthon of New-England; at their Arrival unto which Countrey, Mr. Co [...]ton [...] with the Church of Boston, but Mr. H ooker with the Church of New Town, having Mr. Stone for his Assistent. Inexpressible now was the Joy of Mr. H ooker, to find himself Surrounded with his Friends, who were come over the year before, to prepare for [Page 24] his Reception; with open aims he Embraced them, and uttered these words, Now I Live, if you stand stast in the Lord. But such multitudes stocked over to New England after them, that the Plantation of New-Town became too straight for them; and it was Mr. Hookers Advice that they should not Incur the Danger of a Sitna, on an Esek, where they might have a Rehoboth, Accordingly in the Month of June 1636. they Removed an Hundred miles to the Westward, with a purpose to Settle upon the Delightful Banks of Connecticut River: and there were a­bout an Hundred Persons in the first Company that made this Removal, who not being able to Walk above ten miles a Day, took up near a Fortnight in the Journey; having no Pillows to take their Nightly Rest upon, but such as their Father Jacob sound in the way to Padan Atam. Here Mr. Hooker was the chief Instru­ment of Beginning another Colony, as Mr. Cotton, whom he Left behind him, was, of Preserving and Perfecting that Colony where he Left him; for, indeed each of them were the Oracle of their several Colonies.

§. 17. Though Mr. Hooker had thus Remo­ved from the Massachusett-Bay, yet he sometimes came down to visit the Churches in that Bay; But when ever he came, he was Received with an Affection, like that which Paul found among [Page 25] the Galatians; yea, 'tis thought, that once there seemed some Intimation from Heaven as if the Good People had Overdone in that Affection. For on May 26. 1639. Mr. Hooker being here to Preach that Lords Day in the Afternoon, his great Fame had gathered a vast multitude of Hearers from several other Congregations, and among the Rest, the Governour himself, to be made Partakers of his Ministry. But when he came to Preach, he found himself so unaccoun­tably at a Loss, that after some shattered and broken Attempts, to proceed, he made a full stop; saying to the Assembly, That every thing, which he would have spoken, was taken both out of his Mouth, and out of his Mind also; wherefore he Desired them to Sing a Psalm, while he withdrew about half an Hour from them: Re­turning then to the Congregation, he Preached a most admirable Sermon, wherein he Held them for two Hours together in an extraordina­ry Strain, both of Pertinency and Vivacity.

After Sermon, when some of his Friends were speaking of the Lords thus Withdrawing His Assistance; from him, he humbly replied, We daily confess, that we have nothing, and can do nothing, without Christ; and what if Christ will make this manifest in us, and on us, before our Con­gregations? what remains, but that we he humbly Contented? and what manner of Discouragement is there in all of this? Thus Content was he [Page 26] to be Nullified, that the LORD might be Magnified.

§. 18. Mr. Hooker, that had been Born to Serve many, and was of such a Publick Spirit, that I find him occasionally Celebrated, if the Life of Mr. Angier Lately Published, for One, Who would be continually Inquisitive, how it Fared with the Church of God, both at home and abroad, on purpose that he might order his Prayers and Cares accordingly: He never took his Opportunity to Serve himself; but Lived a sort of Exile all his Dayes, except the Last Fourteen Years of his Life, among his own Spiritual Children at Hartford; however, here also, he was an Exile. Accordingly, wherever he came, he Lived like a Stranger in the World! When at the Lands End, he took his last sight of England, he said, Farewel England! I expect now no more to see that Religious Zeal, and Power of Godliness, which I have seen among Professors in that Land! And he had Sagacious and Prophe­tical Apprehensions of the Declensions which would attend Reforming Churches, when they came to Enjoy a place of Liberty: he said, That Adversity had slain its Thousands, but Prosperi­ty would stay its Ten Thousands! he fear'd, That they who had been Lovely Christians in the Fire of Persecution, would soon become cold in the midst of Universal Peace, except some few, whom God by [Page 27] sharp Tryals, would keep in a Faithful, Watchful, Humble and Praying Frame. But under these Preapprehension, it was his own Endeavour to beware of Abating his own First Love! And of so Watchful, so Prayerful, so Fruitful a Spirit was Mr. Hooker, that the Spirit of Prophecy it self, did seem to grant him some singular Afflations. Indeed, every Wise man I [...] a Prophet; but one so Eminen [...]ly acquainted with Scripture and, Reason, and Church History, as our Hooker, must needs be a Seer, from whom singular Prognostica­tions were to be expected. Accordingly, there were many things Prognosticated by him, where in the Future State of New England, particularly of Connecticut, has been so much concerned, that its pitty they should be forgotten. But I will in this History, Record only Two of his Predictions. One was, That God would punish the wanton Spirit of the Professors, in this Countrey, with a sad went of Able Men in all Orders. A­nother was, That in certain places of great Light here Sinned against, there would break forth such horrible Sins, as would be the Amazement of the World.

§. 19. He was a Man of Prayer, which was indeed, a ready way to become a Man of God. He would say, That Prayer was the principal part of a Ministers Work; 'twas by this, that he was to carry on the Rest. Accordingly, he still Devoted [Page 28] One Day in a Month, to Private Prayer with Fasting before the Lord, besides the Publick Fasts which often occurred unto him. He would say, That such Extraordinary Favours, as the Life of Religion, and the Power of Godliness, must be preserved by the frequent Use of such Extraordinary Means, as Prayer with Fasting; and that if Pro­fessors grow negligent of these Means, Iniquity will Abound, and the Love of many wax cold. Never­theless in the Duty of Prayer, he affected Strength, rather than Length; and though he had not so much variety in his Publick Praying, as in his Publick Preaching, yet he alwayes had a seasonable Respect unto Present Occasions. And it was Observed, that his Prayer was usually like Jacobs Ladder, wherein the nearer he came to an End, the nearer he drew towards Heaven; and he grew into such Rapturous Pleadings with God, and Praysings of God, as made some to say, That Like the Master of the Feast, he Reserved the best Wine until the Last. Nor was the wonderful Success of his Prayer upon special Concerns, unobserved by the whole Co­lony; who Reckoned him the Moses, which Turned away the Wrath of God from them, and obtained a Blast from Heaven upon their Indian Ama [...]ekites, by his Uplifted Hands, in those Re­markable Deliverances which they sometimes experienced. It was very particularly observed, when there was a Battel to be Fought between [Page 29] the Narraganset, and the Monbegin Indians, in the year 1643. The Narraganset Indians had Complotted the Ruine of the English, but the Monbegin were Confederate with us; and a War now being between those two Nations, much notice was taken of the prevailing Impor­tunity, wherewith Mr. Hooker, urged for the Accomplishment of that Great Promise unto the People of God, I will Bless them that Bless thee, but I will Curse him that Curses thee. And the Effect of it was, that the Narragansets Re­ceived a wonderful Overthrow from the Mon­begins, though the former did three or four to one, for Number, exceed the latter. Such an Israel at Prayer was our Hooker! And this Pray­ing Pastor was Blessed, as indeed such Ministers use to be, with a Praying People; there fell up on His pious people, a Double Portion of the Spirit, which they beheld in him.

§. 20. That Reverend and Excellent Man, Mr. Whitfield, having spent many years in Stu­dying of Books, did at length take two or three years to Study Men; And in pursuance of this Design, having Acquainted himself with the most Considerable Divines in England, at last he fell into the Acquaintance of Mr. Hooker; concerning whom, he afterwards gave this Te­stimony; 'That he had not thought there had been such a man on Earth; a man in whom [Page 30] there Shone so many Excellencies, as were in this Incomparable Hooker; A man in whom Lear­ning and Wisdom, were so Tempered with Zeal, Holiness and Watchfulness. And the same Ob­server, having exactly Noted Mr. Hooker, made this Remark, and gave this Report, more par­ticularly of him, That he had the best Command of his own Spirit, which he ever saw in any man whatever. For though he were a man of a Cholerick Disposition, and had a mighty Vi­go [...] and Fervour of Spirit, which as Occasion served, was wondrous useful unto him, yet, he had ordinarily as much Government of his Choler, as a man has of a Mastiff Dog in a Chain; He could Let out his Dog, and pull in his Dog, as he pleased. And another, that observed the Heroical Spirit and Courage, with which this Great man, Fulfilled his Ministry, gave this Account or him, He was a person, who while Doing his Masters Work, would put a King in his Pocket!

§. 21. He was indeed of a very Condescending Spirit, not only towards his Brethren in the Ministry, but also towards the Meanest of any Christians whatsoever. He was very willing to Sacrifice his own Apprehensions into the Con­vincing Reason of another man; and very rea­dy to acknowledge any Mistake or Fai [...]ing in himself. I'le give one Example; There hap­pened [Page 31] a Damage to be done unto a Neighbour, immediately whereupon, Mr. Hooker meeting with an Unlucky Boy, that often had his Name up, for the doing of such Mis [...]hiefs, he fell to Chiding of that Joy, as the I [...] of This. The Boy denied it, and Mr. Hooker still went on in an angry manner, charging of him; whereup­on said the Boy, Sir, I see you are in a passion, I'le say no more to you! and so ran away. Mr. Hook­er, upon further Enquiry, not finding that the Boy could be proved Guilty, sent for him; and having first by a calm Question, given the Boy opportunity to Renew his Denial of the Fact, he said unto him, Since I cannot prove the contra­ry, I am bound to believe, and I do believe what you say; and then added, Indeed I was in a Passion, when I spoke to you before; it was my Sin, and it is my Shame, and I am truly sorry for it: and I hope in God, I shall be more Watchful hereafter. So giving the Joy some good Counsel, the poor Lad went away extreamly affected with such a Carriage in so Good a man; and it proved an Occasion of Good unto the Soul of the Lad all his Dayes.

§. 22. He had a singular Ability, at Giving Answers to Cases of Conscience; whereof hap­py was the Experience of some Thousands: And for this Work he usually set apart the Second Day of the Week; wherein he admitted [Page 32] all sorts of persons, in their Discourses with him, to Reap the Benefit of the Extraordinary Ex­perience, which himself had found of Satan's Devices. Once particularly Mr. Hooker was Addressed by a Student in Divinity, who En­tring upon his Ministry was, as the most Useful Ministers, at their Entrance thereupon, use to be, horribly Busseted with Temptations, which were become almost Intollerable: Repairing to Mr. Hooker in the Distresses and Anguishes of his Mind, and Bemoaning his own overwhelming Fears, while the Lion was thus Roaring at him, Mr. Hooker answered, I can compare with any man Living for Fears! My Advice to you is, That you Search out and Analyse the humbling Causes of them, and Refer them to their proper places; then go and pour them out before the Lord; and they shall prove more profitable to you than any Books you can Read. But Mr. Hooker in his Dealing with Troubled Consciences, observed, that there were a sort of Crusty and Guileful Souls, which he would find out with an Admirable Dexteri­ty; and of these he would say, as Paul of the Cretians, They must be Reproved Sharply, that they may be Sound in the Faith; Sharp Rebukes make Sound Christians. Indeed, of some he had Com­passion, making a Difference; and others he Saved with fear, pulling them out of the Fire.

§. 23. Although he had a Notable Hand [Page 33] it the Discussing and Adjusting of Controversal Points, yet he would hardly ever handle any Polemical Divinity in the Pulpit; but the very Spirit of his Ministry lay in the points of the most Practical Religion, and the Grand Concerns of a Sinner's Preparation for, Implantation in, and Salvation by, the Glorious Lord Jesus Christ. And in these Discourses he would frequently Intermix, most affectionate Warnings of the Declensions, which would quickly Besal the Churches and Christians of New-England.

Many Volumns of the Sermons Preached by him were since Printed; and this Account is to be given of them.

While he was Fellow of Immanuel-Colledge, he entertained a special Inclination to those Principles of Divinity, which concerned, The Application of Redemption; and that which emi­nently fitted him for the Handling of those Principles, was, That he had been from his Youth Trained up, in the Experience of those Humiliations and Consolations, and Sacred Commu­nions, which belong to the New-Creature; and he had most critically compared his own Expe­rience, with the Accounts, which the Quick and Powerful Word of God, gives of those Glorious Things. Accordingly, he Preached, first more briefly on these Points, whilst he was a Catechist in Immanuel Colledge, in a more Scholastick way; which was most agreeable to his present Station; [Page 34] and the Notes of what he then Delivered were so Esteemed, that many Copies thereof were Transcribed and Preserved. Afterwards, he Preached more largely on those Points, in a more popular way at Chelmsford, the Product of which were those Books of Preparation for Christ, Contrition, Humiliation, Vocation, Union with Christ, and Communion, and the rest, which go under his Name; for many wrote after him in Short-Hand; and some were so bold, as to Publish many of them, without his Consent or Knowledge; whereby his Notions came to be Deformedly misrepresented in multitudes of Passages; among which I will suppose that Crude Passage, which Mr. Giles Firm [...]in in his Real Christian, so well confutes, That if the Soul be rightly Humbled, it is content to bear the State of Damnation. But when he came to New England, many of his Church, which had been his Old Essex Hearers, desired him once more to go over the Points of God's Regenerating Works upon the Souls of His Elect; until, at last their Desires prevailed with him to Resume that pleasant Subject. The Subject hereby came to have a Third Concoction, in the Head and Heart of [...] as able to Digest it, as most men Living in the World; and it was his Design to perfect with his own Hand his Composures for the Press, and thereby [...] both Author and Matter, from the [Page 35] wrongs done to both, by Surreptitious Editions heretofore. He did not Live to finish what he intended; yet a Worthy Minister, name­ly, Mr. John Higginson, One richly able himself to have been an Author of a not unlike Matter, Transcribed from his Manuscripts, near two Hundred of these Excellent Sermons, which were sent over into England, that they might be Published; but, by what means I know not, scarce half of them have seen the Light unto this Day. However, 'tis possible, the valuableness of those that are Published, may at some time or other awaken some Enqui­ries after the Unknown Hands wherein the rest, are as yet concealed.

§. 24. But this was not all the Service, which the Pen of Mr. Hooker, did for the Church of God! It was his Opinion, That there were Two great Reserves of Enquiry, for this Age of the World; the First, Wherein the Spiritual Rule of our Lord's Kingdom does Consist, and after what manner it is Internal­ly Revealed, Managed, and Maintained in the Souls of his People? The Second, After what Order the Government of our Lord's Kingdom is to be Externally Managed and Maintained in his Churches? Accordingly, having done his part for Delivering the Former Subject from Pharisaical Formality, on [Page 36] the one Hand, and from Familistical Enthu­siasm on the other; he was by the sollici­tous Importunity of his Friends prevailed withal to Compose a Treatise on the Other Subject also. Upon this Occasion, he Wrote his Excellent Book. which is Entituled, A Survey of Church Discipline; wherein, having in the Name of the other Ministers in the Country, as well as his own, professed his Concurrence with Holy, and Learned, Mr. Rutherford, as to the Number and Nature of Church Officers; The Right of People to call their own Officers; The Unfitness of Scandalous Persons to be Members of a Visible Church; The Unwarrantableness of S eparation from Churches for certain Defective Circumstances; The Lawfulness, yea, Needfulness, of a Con­sociation among Churches; and Calling in the Help of such Consociations, upon Emerging Difficulties; and the Power of such Consocia­tions to proceed against a Particular Church, pertinaciously offending, with a Sentence of Non-Communion: He then proceeds to consi­der, a Church-Congregational compleatly constitu­ted with all its Officers, as having full power in its self to Exercise all Church Discipline, in all the Censures thereof; and the Interest, which the Consent of the People is to have in the Exercise of this Discipline. The first fair and full Copy of this Book, was Drowned in its [Page 37] Passage to England, with many Serious and Eminent Christians, which were then Buried by Shipwrack in the Ocean: for which cause there was another Copy sent afterwards, which through the Premature Death of the Author, was not so perfect as the former; but it was a Reflection, which Dr. Goodwin made upon it, The Destiny which hath attended this Book, hath visited my Thoughts with an Apprehension of something like Omen to the Cause it self: That after the Overwhelming of it with a Flood of Obloquies, and Disadvantages and Misrepresen­tations, and injurious Oppressions cast out after it, it might in the time, which God alone hath put in His own Power, be again Emergent. He adds, I have Looked for this; That this Truth, and all that should be said of it, was Ordained, as Christ of whom every Truth is a Ray, to be as a Seed-corn, which unless it fall to the Ground and Dy, and this perhaps together with some of the Persons that profess it, it brings not forth much Fruit. However, the Ingenious Mr. Stone, who was Collegue to Mr. Hooker, ac­companied this Book, with a little Epigram, whereof these were the concluding Disticks,

[Page 38] § 25. In his Administration of Church-Dis­cipline there were several Things, as Imitable, as Observable. As he was an hearty Friend unto the Consociation of Churches; and hence all the time, that he Lived, the Pastors of the Nighbouring Churches, held their frequent Meetings for mutual Consultation in things of common Concernment; so, in his own particular Church, he was very careful, to have every thing done with a Christian Mo­deration, and Unanimity. Wherefore he would have nothing publickly propounded unto the Brethren of the Church, but what had been first privately prepared by the Elders; and if he feared the happening of any Debate, his way aforehand was, to visit some of the more Noted and Leading Brethren, and hav­ing Engaged Them to second what he should move unto the Church, he rarely missed of a full Concurrence: to which purpose he would say, The Elders must have a Church in a Church, if they would preserve the Peace of the Church. But if any difficult or divided Agitation was Raised in the Church, about any matter offered, he would ever put a stop to that publick Agitation, by Delaying the Vote, until another Meeting; before which time, he would ordinarily by private Conse­rences, gain over such as were unsatisfied. As [Page 39] for the Admission of Communicants unto the Lord's Table, he kept the Examination of them unto the Elders of the Church, as properly belonging unto their Work and Charge; and with his Elders he would order them to make before the whole Church a Profession of a Repenting Faith, as they were able, or willing to do it. Some, that could unto E­dification do it, he put upon thus Relating the manner of their Conversion to God; but usually they only answered unto certain pro­batory Questions, which were rendered them; and so after their Names had been for a few weeks before signified unto the Congre­gation, to Learn whether any Objection or Exception could be made against them, of a­ny thing Scandalous in their Conversations, now Consenting unto, The Covenant, they were Admitted into the Church Communion. As for Ecclesiastical Censures, he was very watchful to prevent all Proceedures unto Them, as far as was consistent with the Rules of our Lord; for which cause (except in grosser Abomi­nations) when Offences happened, he did his utmost, that the Notice thereof might be extended no further, than it was when they first were laid before him; and having Re­conciled the Offenders with sensible and con­venient Acknowledgments of their Miscarriages, he would let the Notice thereof be confined [Page 40] unto such as were aforehand therewith ac­quainted; and hence there was but one per­son Admonished in, and but one person Ex­communicated from, the Church of Hartford, in all the fourteen years, that Mr. Hooker Lived there. He was much troubled at the too frequent Censures in some other Church­es; and he would say, ‘ Church Censures are things, wherewith neither we, nor our Fa­thers have been acquainted, in the practice of them; and therefore the utmost Circum­spection is needful, that we do not spoil the Ordinances of God, by our management thereof.’ In this point he was like Beza, who defended the Ordinance of Excommunication against Erastus; and yet, he with his Collegues, were so cautelous in the use of it, that in eleven years, there was but one Excommuni­cation passed in all Geneva.

§ 26. He would say, That he should Esteem it a Favour from God if he might Live no Longer, than he should be able to hold up Lively in the Work of his Place; and that, when the Time of his Departure should come, God would shorten the Time: and he had his Desire. Some of his most Observant Hearers, obser­ved an astonishing sort or a Cloud, in his Congregation, the last Lords Day of his pub­lick Ministry, when he also Administred [Page 41] the Lo [...] Supper among them; and a most unaccountable Heaviness and Sleepiness, even in the most Watchful Christians of the place, not unlike the Drowsiness of the Disciples, when our Lord was going to Dy; for which. One of the Elders publickly Rebuked them. When those Devout People afterwards per­ceived, that this was the Last Sermon and Sacrament, wherein they were to have the Presence of their Pastor with them, 'tis In­expressible, how much they bewailed their Unattentiveness unto his Farewel Dispensations; and some of them could Enjoy no peace in their own Souls, until they had obtained Leave of the Elders, to confess before the whole Congregation with many Tears, that Inadvertency. But as for Mr. Hooker himself; an Epidemical Sickness, which had proved mortal to many, though at first small or no Danger appeared in it, Arrested him. In the time of his Sickness, he did not say much to the Standers by; but being asked, that he would utter his Apprehensions about some Important Things, especially about the State of New England, he answered, I have not that Work now to do; I have already De­clared the Counsel of the Lord: and when one that stood weeping by the Bed side said unto him, Sir, You are going to Receive the Reward of all your Labours, he Replyed, Bro­ther, [Page 42] I am going to Receive Mercy! At Last, he Closed his own Eyes, with his own Hands, and gently stro [...]king his own Forehead, with a Smile in his Countenance, he gave a little Groan, and so Expired his Blessed Soul into the Arms of his Fellow Servants, the Holy Angels, on July 7. 1647. In which Last Hours, the Glorious Peace of Soul, which he had Enjoyed without any Inter­ruption for near Thirty Years together, so gloriously accompanied him, that a worthy Spectator than Writing to Mr. Cotton a Relation thereof, made this Reflection, Truly Syr, the fight of his Death, will make me have more pleasant Thoughts of Death, than ever I yet had in my Life!

§ 27. Thus Lived, and thus Dyed, One of the First Three. He, of whom the Great Mr. Cotton gave this Character, that he did, Agmen ducere et dominari in Concionibus, gratia Spiritus Sancti et virtute plenis; and that he was, Vir Solertis et Acerrimi Judicij; and at length uttered his Lamentations in a Funeral Elegy, whereof some Lines were these.

This was He, of whom his Pupil Mr. Ash, gives this Tellimony; For his great Abilities, and glorious Services, both in This, and in the Other England, he Deserves a Place in the first Rank of them, whose Lives are of Late Record­ed. And this was He, of whom his Reve­rend Contemporary, Mr. Ezekiel Rogers, ten­dered this for an Epitaph; in every Line whereof, methinks the Writer deserves a Re­ward equal to what Virgil had, when for every Line, referring to Marcellus in the end of his Sixth [...] he received a Sum, not much less than Eighty Pounds in Money, or as ample a Requital as Cardinal Richleu gave to a Poet, when he bestow'd upon him two thousand Sequins for a witty Conceit in One Verse, of but seven words, upon his Coat of Arms.

But as Ambrose could say concerning The­odosius, Non Totus rece [...]sit; reliquit nobis Liberos, in quihas even debenas agnoscere, et in quibus eum Cernimas et Tenmus; thus we have to this Day among us, our Dead Hooker yet Living in his Worthy Son, Mr. Samuel Hooker, an Able, Faithful, Useful, Minister, at Far­mington, in the Colony of Connecticut.