was sound, and savoring of the spirit of God; but hearing, very lately, that he was suspected to hold such opinions, it caused him to think he spake as he meant. The second cause of offence was, that in his speech appeared some bitterness. For that he answered, that they well knew his manner of speech was always earnest in things which he conceived to be serious; and professed that he did love that brother's person, and did honor the gifts and graces of God in him. The third was, that he had charged him to have held things which he did not. For this he answered, that he had spoke since with the said brother; and for the two points,-1. That a believer should be more than a new creature, and 2. That there should be a personal union between the Holy Ghost and a believer, he denied to hold either of them, but by necessary consequences he doth hold both; for he holds, (said he,) that there is a real union with the person of the Holy Ghost, and then of necessity §it§ must be personal, and so a believer must be more than a creature, viz. God-man, as Christ Jesus. For though, in a true union, the two terms may still remain the same, &c., as between husband and wife, he is a man still and she is a woman, (for the union is only in sympathy and relation,) yet in a real or personal union it is not. Now whether this were agreeable to the doctrine of the Gospel, he left to the church to judge, hoping the Lord would direct their teacher to clear these points fully, as he had well done, in good measure, already. Withal he made this request to the brethren, that, (which he said he did seriously and affectionately,) seeing those variances grew, (and some estrangement withal,) from some words and expressions which were of human invention, and tended to doubtful disputation, rather than to edification, and had no footing in Scripture, nor had been of use in the purest churches for three hundred years after Christ, that, for the peace the church, they might be forborne, (he meant the person of the Holy Ghost, and real union;) he concluded, that he did not intend to dispute the matter, (as not having place nor calling thereunto ;) yet, if any brother desired to

of

see what light he walked by, he would be ready to impart it to him. How this was taken by the congregation it did not appear, for no man spake to it. This speech was very solid, rational, and candid, and if men's minds had not been strangely forestalled with prejudice against the truth, and a secret inclination to novelties and error, it might have put a stop to that confusion they at Boston were at that time running into.

A day or two after, the same brother wrote his mind fully, with such Scriptures and arguments as came to hand, and sent it to Mr. Cotton.

The Governor, Mr. Vane, a gentleman pretending much to wisdom and piety, held, with Mr. Cotton, the indwelling of the person of the Holy Ghost in a believer, and went so far beyond the rest, as to maintain a personal union with the Holy Ghost. But the Deputy, Mr. Winthrop, (a gentleman not inferior in natural abilities, but much better grounded in the true principles of learning, both divine and human,) together with Mr. Wilson, the pastor, and divers others, denied both; and the question proceeded so far by disputation, (in writing, for the peace sake of the church, which all were tender of,) as, at length, they could not find the person of the Holy Ghost in Scripture, nor in the primitive churches three hundred years after Christ; so that all, agreeing in the chief matter of substance, came to this, viz. that the Holy Ghost is God, and that he doth dwell in believers, (as the Father and Son are also said to do,) but whether by his gifts and power only, or by any other manner of presence, seeing the Scripture doth not declare it, it was earnestly desired that the word person might be forborne, being a term of human invention, and tending to doubtful disputation in this case. For though the word person be used in the Hebrews, i. 3, yet in the Greek it is hypostasis, or subsistence, not goooor, which is to be rendered person.

At a General Court, occasionally called in December following, (that was intended for a Court of Election,) the ministers were called for advice about composing and

the

pacifying the difference among the churches in point of opinion. The Governor having declared the occasion to them, Mr. Dudley desired that men would be free and open, &c.; another of the magistrates spake, that it would much further the end they came for, if men would freely declare what they held differing from others, as himself would do, in what point soever he should be opposed, The Governor said, that he would be content to do the like, but that he understood the ministers were about it in a church way, which he spake upon this occasion; the ministers had met, a little before, and had drawn into heads all the points, wherein they suspected Mr. Cotton did differ from them, and had propounded them to him, and pressed him to a direct answer, affirmative or negative, to every one of which he had promised, and had taken time for. This meeting being spoken of the day before in the Court, the Governor took great offence at it, as being without his privity, etc., which this day one of the ministers told him as plainly of, (with all due reverence,) and how he had saddened the spirits of the ministers, that he should be jealous of their meetings, or seem to restrain their liberties, etc. The Governor excused his speech as sudden, and upon a mistake. The same minister told him also, that within less than two years since, the churches were at peace, etc. The Governor answered, that the light of the Gospel brings a sword, and the children of the bond woman would persecute those of the free woman, and such like canting language. The minister besought him humbly to consider his short experience in the things of God, and to beware of peremptory conclusions, which he perceived him to be very apt unto; he declared further what had been observed, both in the Low Countries and here, as the principal reasons of new opinions and divisions thereupon, viz. pride, idleness, and ungrounded knowledge, &c. Mr. Wilson, pastor of Boston, made a serious speech of the condition of the churches, and the inevitable danger of separation, if those differences and alienations among brethren were not speedily remedied; and

'Rev. Hugh Peter.-H.

laid the blame on those new opinions, risen up amongst them; which all the magistrates, except the Governor and two others, did confirm, as did all the ministers also, except two..

In this discourse a question arose about sanctification. Mr. Cotton, in his sermon that day, had laid down this ground, that evident sanctification was a ground of justification, and thereupon had taught that, in cases of spiritual desertion, true desires of sanctification was found to be sanctification as our divines usually hold; and further, if a man were laid so flat upon the ground, as he could see no desires, &c., but only, as a bruised reed, did wait at the foot of Christ, yet here was matter of comfort, for this was found to be true sanctification in the root and principle of it.

The question here grew, whether any of these, or evident sanctification, could be evident to a man without a concurrent sight of his justification. The Governor and Mr. Cotton denied it; but this was one of the questions disputed afterwards in the Synod.

But the speech of Mr. Wilson, it seems, did stick in many of their stomachs, and was taken ill by Mr. Cotton himself and divers others of the church of Boston, so as he and divers of them went to admonish him. But Mr. Wilson and some others could see no breach of rule, seeing he was called by the Court about the same matter with the rest of the elders, and exhorted to deliver their minds freely and faithfully, both for discovering the dangers, and means of help; and the things he spake of were only in general, and such as were under a common fame; and being questioned about his intent, he did not mean Boston church, nor the members thereof, more than others. But this would not satisfy, but they called him to answer publicly, on the Lord's Day, December 31, and there the Governor pressed it violently against him, and most of the congregation, except the Deputy and a few more, and many of them with much bitterness and reproaches; but he answered them all with words of truth and soberness, and marvellous wis

dom. It was strange to see, how the common people were led by example to condemn him, in that which it is very probable divers of them did not understand, nor the rule which he was supposed to have broken; and that such as had known him so long, and what good he had done for the church, should fall upon him with such bitterness for justifying himself in a good cause; for he was a very holy upright man, and for faith and love inferior to none in the country, and most dear to all men, beside prejudiced people. The teacher joined with the greater, part at that time, in their judgment of him, (not without some appearance of prejudice,) yet with much wisdom and moderation. They were eager to proceed to present censure, but the teacher staid them from' that, telling them he might not do it, because some opposed it, but gave him a grave exhortation. The pastor was not much troubled at it, accounting it but man's day; Barnabas was sometimes carried away with the error of the rest. The next Lord's Day the said Mr. Wilson preached, notwithstanding, and the Lord so assisted him as he gave great satisfaction, and the Governor himself gave public witness to him.

One of the brethren wrote to Mr. Cotton about it, and laid before him divers failings, (as he supposed,) and some reasons to justfy Mr. Wilson, and dealt very plainly with him. Mr. Cotton made a very loving and gentle answer, clearing his intentions, and persisting in his judgment of Mr. Wilson's offence, laying down divers arguments for it. The said brother replied to him in like loving manner, and desired leave to shew his letter to Mr. Wilson, which he readily assented unto. But for an answer to his arguments, he forbore to reply to Mr. Cotton, (because he was overburdened with business,) but wrote to the two ruling elders, (whom the matter more concerned,) and, by way of defence of Mr. Wilson, answered all Mr. Cotton's arguments.

Upon these occasions many errors broke out publicly in the church of Boston,-as that the Holy Ghost dwelt in a believer, as he did in Heaven; that a man is 2 Winthrop, says Sav. Win. i. 211.-H.

1 For in the MS.-н.