America painted to the life. A true history of the originall undertakings of the advancement of plantations into those parts, with a perfect relation of our English discoveries ... 1628. to 1658. declaring the forms of their government, policies, religions, manners, customes, military disciplines, warres with the Indians, the commodities of their countries, a description of their townes, and havens, the increase of their trading with the names of their governours and magistrates. More especially an absolute narrative of the north parts of America, and of the discoveries and plantations of our English in New-England. Written by Sir Ferdinando Gorges .... Publisht ... by his grand-child Ferdinando Gorges Esquire, who hath much enlarged it and added severall accurate descriptions of his owne.

CHAP. VII. Of the first Syrod holden in New England, whereby the Lord in his mercy did more plainly discover his ancient truths, and con∣fute those cursed errors that ordinarily dogg the refor∣ming Churches of CHRIST.

THe Lord Christ deeming it most expedient for his people to adde some farther help to assist them in cutting downe those cursed errors (that were the next dangerous difficulty they were to meet with) sends in the Reverend and bright shining light Mr. Davenport, and the cheerfull, grave, and gracious Sol∣dier of his, Mr. Allen, as also Mr. Thompson, Mr. Browne, Mr. Fish, with divers other of the faithfull servants of Christ, the much honoured Mr. Eaton and Mr. Hopkins: and now the time being come, the Synod sate at Cambridge, where was present about 25. Reverend and godly Ministers of Christ, besides many other gra∣ciously-eminent servants of his. A Catalogue of the severall Er∣rors scattered about the Countrey was there produced, to the number of 80. and liberty given to any man to dispute pro or con, and none to be charged to be of that opinion he disputed for, un∣lesse he should declare himselfe so to be. The Weapons these Souldiers of Christ warred with, was the Sword of the Spirit, e∣ven the Word of God, together with earnest prayer to the God of all Truth, that he would open his truths unto them. The clea∣ring of the true sense and meaning of any place of Scripture, it was done by Scripture, for they so discerned by the grace of God

that was given them, that the whole Scripture must be attended unto. Foure sorts of persons I could with a good will have paid their passage out, and home againe to England, that they might have been present at this Synod, so that they would have repor∣ted the truth of all the passages thereof to their own Colledges at their return. The first is the Prelates, who both in Theorie and Practice might have made their owne Eyes Judges in the case, Whether would prevaile most, (to the suppressing of Error, and advancing of Unity in the true worship of God) either their commanding power backt with the subordinate sword of Prin∣ces, or the Word of God cleered up by the faithfull labour and indefatigable pains of the sincere servants of the Lord Christ, and mightily declared through the demonstration of his blessed Spi∣rit. This well waighed, may (through the Lords blessing) stop the yet running fancie in the brains of many, that their Lordly power is the onely means of suppressing Error.

Secondly, the Godly and Reverend Presbyterian Party, who, had they made their eye-witnesses of this worke, they had assu∣redly saved themselves much labour, which I dare presume they would have spent worthily otherwayes, then in writing so many books to prove the Congregationall or Independant Churches to be the sluce, through which so many flouds of Error flow in: nay, my deare and reverend brethren, might not so much work of yours in writing, and ours in answering, have been a meanes to have stopt the height of this overflowing floud? and through the Lords assisting have setled Peace and Truth in a great mea∣sure throughout the three Nations.

Thirdly, those who with their new stratagems have brought in so much old error; for although they had a party here, yet verily they durst not bring their New Light to the Old Word, for fear it would prove but Old Darknesse, (as indeed they doe.) But here might they have seene the Ministers of Christ (who were so experienced in the Scripture, that some of them could tell you the place, both Chapter and Verse, of most sentences of Scripture could be named unto them) with Scriptures light, cleering up the truths of Christ clouded by any of these Errors and Heresies, as had not been done for many Ages before: and verily this great work of Christ must not be lightly over-past, the Author of this

History passeth not for the shrewd censures of men: nor, can it be any matter of disparagement to the reverend and highly ho∣noured in Christ, remaining in England, that their fellow bre∣thren have done so worthily here? it is well knowne to all our English Nation, that the most able-preaching Ministers of Christ were most pursued by the lording Clergy, and those that have spent all their dayes, even from a child, in searching the Scri∣ptures, the Lord Christ preparing them by his blessed spirit for this very work. Besides, their continued practice in studying and preaching the wayes of truth; and lastly, their meeting with the opposition of so many crafty, close couched errors, whose first foundation was laid cheke by joule with the most glorious, heavenly, and blessed truths, to dazle the eyes of the beholders, and strike terrour into the hearts of those should lift up their hands against them, for feare they should misse them, and hit their stroke upon the blessed truth; and also to bring up a slan∣derous and evil report on all the able Orthodox Min••st••rs of Christ that withstand them, perswading men they withstand the holy, heavenly, and blessed truth, which they have lodged there, which this Synod did with strong & undenyable arguments fetch from Scripture, to overthrow and pluck up by the roots, all those Errors, which you have heard mentioned in the former Book, the which they divided for the more full answering of them. A∣mong all those valiant Champions of the Truth whom you have heard named, to some six, some five, some foure, &c. it had assu∣redly been worth the work to have related the particular man∣ner of putting to the sword every one of them: but besides the length of the discourse, there must have been a more able Pen∣man: but however they were so put to death, that they never have stood up in a living manner among us since, but sometimes like Wizards to peepe and mutter out of ground, fit for such people to resort unto, as will goe from the living to the dead. But blessed be the Lord Christ, who girded his people with strength against this day of battaile, and caused the Heavens to cleere up againe in New-England, after these foggy dayes:

The fourth and last sort of persons, whose presence I could most of all the other three former have desired, was those whose disease lay as chiefly in despising all Physitians, and that upon this

ground for one, because some for filthy lucre sake have nourish•• Diseases rather then cured them. Many pamphlets have come from our Countreymen of late, to this purpose, namely, scurril∣lously to deride all kind of Scholarship, Presbytery, and Synods. Experience hath taught Gods people here, that such are troubled with some sinfull opinion of their owne, that they would not have touched; but had they been at this Synod, they must, per force, have learned better language, or their speech and their knowledge would fall foule one of the other; here might they have beheld the humility of the most learned of these servants of Christ, condemning the high conceitednesse of their ignorance, and then also the framing of Arguments in a Schollar like way, did (the Lord assisting) cleare up the truths of Christ more to the me••nest capacity in one hour, then could be clouded again in s••aven yeare by the new notion of any such as boast so much of their unlettered knowledge, diversity of languages, although a correcting hand of God upon the whole world, when they joyned together in that proud Edifice: yet now is it blest of God, to retaine the purity of the Scriptures; if any man should goe about to corrupt them in one language, they should remain pure in another; and assuredly, the Lord intending to have the wayes of the Gospel of Christ to be made more manifest at this time, then formerly, not by tradition of our forefathers, or by mans reason, but by the revealed will of God in the holy Scri∣pture, did accordingly prepare Instruments for this work, earthen vessels, men subject to like infirmities with our selves; sorry men, and carrying about with them a body of sinne and death, men subject to erre: yet these did the Lord Christ cause to be train'd up in Learning, and tutor'd at the Universities, and that very young, some of them, as the revererend Mr. John Cotten at 13. yeares of age. The mighty power of God sanctifyed and ordained them for this work, and made them a defenced city, an iron pillar, a wall of brass against all the opposers of his truth; and now coupled them together in this Synod, to draw in Christs yoke, and warre with the weapons he had furnished them withall, and cause the blessed truths of Christ to shine forth in their splendour and glory, farre more after the dispersing of this smoak, which of a long time hath filled the Temple, and hinde∣red

the entring in of those great number of Converts, which shall flow in at the fall of all antichristian Errors; and verily as the Lord Christ had called forth this little handfu••l to be a model of his glorious work, intended thoughout the whole world, so chiefly in this suppressing of Errours, Sects, and Heresies, by the blessed word of his truth, causing his servants in this Synod, mu••••ally to agree; and by his gracious providence, break in pieces a contrived plot of some, who, by mis-reports, insinuating jealousies, and crafty carriage of matters to the wrong mark, with a writing of thrice twenty strong, would have drawne away one of the valiant Souldiers of Christ from this worthy worke, who both then, and since, hath been very helpfull to cast downe many a strong fort erected by the Sectaries; but the Lord Christ would not suffer this blow to be given, intending all people (by way of restitution) for their slanderous reports, cast upon his New England Churches (as being the inlet to Errours) shall honour them with this victorious co••quest, given them by Christ herein; yet willing they would, their brethren in England might win the prize by out-stripping them, more abundantly in length, bredth and height, which the same God is able to per∣forme, that hath been thus abundantly good to us.

About this time the Churches of Christ began to be diligent in their duty, and the civil government in looking after such as were like to disturb the peace of this new erected govern∣ment; some persons being so hot headed for maintaining of these sinfull opinions, that they feared breach of peace, even among the Members of the superiour Court, but the Lord bles∣sing them with agreement to prevent the wofull effects of civill broyles; those in place of government caused certain persons to be disarmed in the severall Townes, as in the Towne of Boston, to the number of 58. in the Towne of Salem 6. in the Towne of Newbery 3. in the Towne of Roxbury 5. in the Towne of Ipswitch 2. and Charles Towne 2. others there were, that through the help of the faithfull servants of Christ, came to see how they had beene m••sled, and by the power of Christ in his Word, returned againe with an acknowledge∣ment of their sinne; but others there were, who remained obstinate, to the disturbing of the civill power, and were bani∣shed,

of whom you shall heare farther hereafter. Some of the Churches of Christ being more indulgent, waited long ere they fell upon the work: and here you must tak notice, that the Sy∣nod, Civil Government, and the Churches of Christ, kept their proper place, each moving in their own sphear, and acting by their own light, or rather by the revelation of Jesus Christ, wit∣nessed by his Word and Spirit, yet not refusing the help of eacg other (as some would willingly have it) some of the Churches prosecuting the Rule of Christ against their hereticall Members, were forced to proceed to excommunication of them, who when they saw whereto it would come, they would have pre∣vented it with lying, but the Lord discovered it; and so they were justly separated from the Churches of Christ for lying: which being done, they fell to their old trade againe.