justified before he believes; and that faith is no cause of! justification: and others superadded more-as that the letter of the scripture holds forth nothing but a covenant of works; and that the covenant of grace was the spirit of the scripture, and was known only to believers, and that this covenant of works was given by Moses in the ten commandments: and there was a seed, viz. Abraham's carnal seed, went along in it. And there was a spirit and life in it, by virtue whereof a man might attain to any sanctification in gifts and graces, and might have spiritual and comfortable communion with Jesus Christ, and yet be damned; after it was granted that faith was before justification, but it was only passive, an empty vessel, &c. But in conclusion of all, the ground of all was found to be assurance by immediate revelation.

All the congregation of Boston in a manner, except four or five, closed with these opinions, or the most of them; but one of the brethren wrote against them, and bore witness to the truth, together with the pastor, and very few others joined with them. Things being brought to this pass, the rest of the ministers taking offence at some doctrines delivered by Mr. Cotton, and especially at some opinions which some of his church did broach, (for he seemed to have too good an opinion of, and too much familiarity with those persons,) and drew out sixteen points, and gave them to him, entreating him to deliver his judgment directly in them, which accordingly he did, and many copies of them were dispersed about. Some doubts he well cleared, but in some things he gave not satisfaction. The rest of the ministers replied to these answers, and at large showed their dissent, and, the grounds thereof; and at the next general court, held the 9th of March following, they all assembled at Boston, and agreed to put off all lectures for three weeks, that they might bring things to some issue.

But whatever private conferences or means were used, the differences in the said points of religion increased more and more, and the ministers on both sides, (there being only Mr. Cotton and Mr. Wheelwright on one

the

part,) did publickly declare their judgment in some of them, so as all men's mouths were full of nothing else; and about this time, February 3, there being a ship in the harbour bound for England with many passengers, Mr. Cotton took occasion to speak to them about the differences, &c. and willed them to tell our countrymen that all the strife amongst them was about magnifying grace of God: one person seeking to advance the grace of God within us, and the other to advance the grace of God towards us, (meaning by the one justification, by the other sanctification,) and so bid them tell them, that if there were any among them that could strive for grace, they should come hither, and so declared some particulars. Mr. Wilson spake after him, and declared that he knew none of the elders, or brethren of the churches, but did labour to advance the free grace of God in justification, so far as the word of God required; and spake also about the doctrine of sanctification, and the use and necessity of it; by occasion whereof no man could tell (except some few who knew the bottom of the matter) where any difference was; which speech, though it offended those of Mr. Cotton's part, yet it was very seasonable to clear the rest, who otherwise would have been reputed to oppose free grace. This only occasion increased the contention, and raised great alienations of minds, and the members of Boston (frequenting the lectures of other ministers) did make much disturbance by publick questions and objections against their doctrines, which did any way disagree from their opinions : and it began to be as common there, to distinguish be tween men, by being under a covenant of works and a covenant of grace, as in other countries between Protestants and Papists. For at the general court the next year, one Greensmith was punished, for saying all the ministers in the country preached a covenant of works, but two; but notwithstanding his talking of an appcal, he was committed till he submitted to the sentence, which was in part to make an acknowledgement in all the congregations of the country,

At the next general court, which was on the 9th of March, 1636, they questioned the proceedings against Mr. Wilson, and by the greater part his speech was ap. proved, and declared to be a seasonable caution, and no charge or accusation.

And at that time the ministers, being called to give their advice about the authority of the court in things concerning the church, did alla gree of these two things: 1. That no member of court ought publickly to be questioned by the church, for any speech in the court, viz. which concerned the court and authority thereof: the reason was because the court may have sufficient reason, that may excuse the same, which yet may not be fit to acquaint the church with, being a secret of state. The second thing was, that in all such heresies and errours of any church member as are manifest and dangerous to the state, the court may proceed without tarrying for the church; but if the opinions be doubtful, &c. they are first to refer them to the church. At this court likewise, when Mr. Wheelwright was questioned for his sermon, which seemed to tend to sedition, &c. near all the church of Boston presented a petition to the court for two things among others, 1st, That as freemen they might be present in cases of judicature: 2dly, that the court would declare that they might deal in cases of conscience before the church. This was taken as a groundless and presumptuous act, especially at this season, and was rejected with this answer, that the court had never used to proceed judicially, but it was openly: for matter of consultation, and preparation in causes, they might and would be private.

Such were the uncomfortable agitations in those times both in the church and court, by reason of new opinions. But for the difference between Mr. Cotton and his party and Mr. Wilson, there was a reconciliation made betwixt them the next summer, viz. in August, (Mr. Hooker being then in the bay, and Mr. Davenport at Boston,) for that was a day appointed for a conference amongst the elders or a synod on the 30th of August,

and a day of humiliation on the 24th, with consent of the magistrates. At their private meetings some reconciliation was made between Mr. Cotton and Mr. Wheelwright, and Mr. Wilson; he professing that by his speech in the court, with which they were so much of fended, he did not intend the doctrine of Mr. Cotton or Mr. Wheelwright, delivered in the publick congrega tion, but some opinions, (naming three or four,) which were privately carried on in Boston and other parts of the country, and accordingly Mr. Cotton declared so much in the congregation the Lord's day following; and for the rest of his speech it was agreed by all the ministers to be inoffensive, considering his call thereto by the court. This sudden change was the more observed by sone, who were privy that Mr. Wilson had professed so much before, both privately to the elders, and publickly in the congregation, and that the said opinions had been delivered to the elders of Boston in writing, as those which Mr. Wilson intended. But every thing is beautiful in its season; sometimes when men's eyes are held they cannot see that which else, is very manifest and easy to be discerned.

There was great hope that the assembly of the ministers, this year called together, would have had some good effect for the composing the troubles and dissentions about matters of religion; but it fell out otherwise, for although Mr. Wheelwright had been clearly confuted and confounded in the assembly, yet they persisted in their opinions, and were as busy in nourishing and carrying on contentions (the principal of them) as ever before; yea, were rather the more engaged in defending their errours, upon occasion of the proceedings against him and Mr. Hutchinson in the court, and in the said assembly. For now were other grosser errours openly professed and maintained by them, that before were only secretly carried by way of inquiry, and so many of Boston tainted with them; as Mr. Cotton finding how he had been abused, and made (as himself said) their stalking horse, (for they pretended to hold nothing but

what Mr. Cotton held, and himself did at the first think the same,) did spend most of his time, both publickly and privately, to discover those errours, and reduce such as were gone astray. The magistrates also with the ministers spent two or three days together in consultation how to redress those growing evils.

Some of those growing evils or errours were these: That there is no inherent righteousness in a child of God.

That we are not bound to the law, no, not as a rule. That the Sabbath is but as other days.

That the soul is mortal till it be united to Christ. That there is no resurrection of the body, &c. But by the blessing of God upon all endeavours, the church of Boston at last having agreed with one consent to pass the sentence of excommunication against Mrs. Hutchinson, for many moral evils in her conversation, as well as for corrupt opinions; many, who had been seduced by her, by what they heard and saw that day, were, through the grace of God, brought off quite from her errours and settled in the truth.

And at a general fast, on the 13th of December, 1638, Mr. Cotton in his sermon that day at Boston did confess and bewail, as the churches, so his own security and credulity, whereupon so many dangerous errours had gotten up and spread in the churches, and went over all the particulars, and shewed how he came to be deceived; the errours being formed (in words) so near the truth, which he had preached, and the falsehood of the maintainers of them was such, as they usually would deny to him what they had delivered to others. He acknowledg ed that such as had been seducers of others (iustancing in some of those of Rhode Island, though he named them not) had been justly banished; yet he said such as only had been misled, and others who had done any thing out of misguided conscience, (not being grossly evil,) should be borne withal, and first referred to the church, and if that could not heal them, they should rather be imprison