the frame of their churches as near the apostolical and primitive pattern, as well might be, began to think it now high time to draw up some platform of their discipline and church government, that might be as a foundation for many generations that might be to come; especially at this time they judged it very necessary, when the way, wherein they had hitherto walked, began to be called in question, whether it were of the right stamp, and agreeable to the pattern in the Mount. For this end, a bill was presented to the general court in the year 1646, for calling a synod to consider of that matter. The ma gistrates passed the bill, but some of the deputies questioned the power of the court to require their churches to send their messengers to such a convention; as not being satisfied that any such power was given by Christ to the civil magistrates over the churches in such cases, as also because the main end of the meeting propounded, was for an agreement upon one uniform practice of all the churches, to be commended to the general court, &c. which seemed to give power either to the synod or the court to compel the churches to practise what shall be so established. To this it was answered, that if the magistrate was called of God to maintain the churches within his precincts in purity, peace, and truth, (which is assented unto by all sober men that profess christianity, else how can he be custos utriusque tabulæ,) then the civil magistrate must have power, upon just occasion, to require the churches to send their messengers to advise in such ecclesiastical matters, whether they concern doctrine or discipline, profession of faith or practice, in point of manners; and further they were answered that the synod was not to proceed by way of authoritative power, but by way of council and advice from the word of God, and that the court was at liberty either to establish or disannul such agreement of the synod as they should see cause, which would put no more into the hands of the court than it had already, by the word of God and the laws of the country. Thereupon the force of all objections on the other hand was taken away. But in tender respect to such as were not yet fully satisfied in the point,

it was ordered, that the ensuing synod should be convened by way of motion only to the churches, and not in words of command.

But whatever gentle words the order was sweetened withal, some of the churches could not swallow it, especially because some words therein seemed to intimate, that what the assembly should agree upon must be presented to the court, that they might give such allowance to it as was meet; from whence it was inferred that some intended to have ecclesiastical laws made to bind the church, if they should consent to such a synod. The principal men who raised the objections were some that lately came from England, where such a vast liberty was pleaded for by all that rabble of men, that went under the name of Independents, whether Anabaptists, Antinomians, Familists, and Seekers (for the Quaker was not then formed into any particular or distinct shape out of his materia prima,) far beyond the moderate limits pleaded for by the congregational divines in the assembly at Westminster, such as Dr. Goodwin, Mr. Nye, and Mr. Burroughs, &c. (who yet, it may be intending to double the Cape of Good Hope, then in view, as was thought, tacked about further than they needed to have done.) A great part of the parliament also then in being inclined much that way, and had by their commissioners, sent word to all the English plantations in the West Indies and Somer Islands, that all men should enjoy their liberty of conscience, and had by their letters also inti. mated the same to those of New England. Some few of the church of Boston adhered to these principles, which made them stickle so much against the calling of the sy nod at that time, against which they raised a threefold objection. 1. That by a liberty already established amongst the laws of New England, the elders or ministers of the churches have allowance or liberty to assemble upon all occasions without the compliance of the civil authority. 2. It was observed that this motion came originally from some of the elders or ministers, and not from the court. 3. In the order was expressed, that what the major part of the assembly should agree upon,

should be presented to the court for their confirmation. To the first it was answered, that the said liberty was granted only for an help in case of extremity, if in time to come, either the civil authority should grow opposite to the churches or neglect the care of them, and not with any intent to practise the same, while the civil rulers were as nursing fathers to the churches. To the second it was answered, it was not for the churches to inquire what or who gave the occasion, but if they thought fit to desire the churches to afford them help of council in any matters which concerned religion and conscience, it was the churches' duty to yield it to them, for so far as it concerns their command or request, it is an ordinance of man, which all are to submit unto for the Lord's sake, without troubling themselves about the occasion or success. Ex malis moribus nascuntur bonæ leges: Laws are not the worse for being occasioned by evil men or evil manners. For the third, where the order speaks of the major part, it speaks in its own language, and according to the practice of the court, where the act of the major part is always accounted the act of the court; but it never intended thereby to restrain or direct the synod in the manner of their proceeding; nor to hinder them, but that they might first acquaint the churches with their conclusions, and have their assent to them, before they did present them to the court, for that is their care; the court's care is only to provide for their own cognizance, and for the inference which was drawn from that clause, [that the court might give them such allowance as should be meet.] It is both against the rules of reason and char ity to infer from thence, any such sanction of the court as was supposed, for they say only they will give them such allowance as is meet; it cannot thence be inferred, that they will put any such sanction or stamp of authority upon them as should be unmeet.

This matter was two Lord's days in agitation with the church of Boston, before they could be brought to any comfortable conclusion; but on a lecture day intervening, Mr. Norton, teacher of the church at Ipswich, was procured to supply the place at Boston, where was a

great audience, and the subject then handled was suitable to the occasion, viz. Moses and Aaron kissing each other in the mount of God; where he laid down the nature and power of a synod as only consultative, declarative, and decisive, not coercive, &c. and shewing also the power of the civil magistrate in calling such assemblies, and the duty of churches in yielding obedience to the same; he held forth also, the great offence and scandal, which would be given in refusing; and in the whole of his discourse appeared so much strength of reason and argument, as was easily able to convince the gainsayer. And on the next Lord's day, after much debate in Boston church, it was agreed by the vote of the major part, that the elders and three of the brethren should be sent as messengers to the synod. It was near winter before they could assemble, and few of the elders of the other colonies, (though they also were invited,) could be present; on which account the synod, after they had sat fourteen days, brake up, and adjourned to the 8th of June, in the year 1647.

The inordinate love of liberty, or fear of restraint, especially in matters of religion, occasioned at this time divers to call in question the power of the civil magistrate in matters pertaining to the first table, and therefore was that question thoroughly debated in the first session of the synod, then called together, who delivered their judgment about that question in the proposition following:

A proposition about the magistrate's power in matters of religion.

"The civil magistrate, in matters of religion or of the first table hath power, civilly to command or forbid things respecting the outward man, which are clearly commanded or forbidden in the word, and to inflict suitable punishments, according to the nature of the transgressions against the same."

Several arguments, with testimonies, for the confirmation and proof of this truth, were annexed thereunto, and were printed at London anno 1654, together with a 1 discourse of that nature by Mr. Thomas Allen. It was

bound up with a small treatise about the nature and power of synods. But that which was attended principally in the next meeting of the synod, August 16, 1648, was a platform of discipline, to be commended to the churches of New England, for a rule of their practice in the government of the church, which the assembly, meeting together in the said year, agreed upon, which they endeavoured to gather out of the word of God. But for a confession of faith, they wholly agreed with that, set forth by the assembly of divines at Westminster.

The platform of discipline was to be presented to the churches and general government for their consideration and acceptance in the Lord. This was done in October, anno 1648, for the summer of the year 1647 proving sickly, they were forced to adjourn unto the following year.

Some objections were made against some part thereof by some of the deputies of the court in the name of the churches and freemen they belonged unto, which being answered by some of the elders, to whom it was left against the next sessions of the court, they then thankfully accepted thereof, and declared their approbation of the said platform of discipline, as being for the substance thereof, what they had hitherto practised in their churches, and did believe to be according to the word of God.

In the said platform were laid down the principles of the congregation discipline, according to which the churches of New England have been ever since ordered. These principles are now well known in the world, and need not therefore here be inserted; but for the better information and satisfaction of the reader, and that none might judge of the said churches otherwise than they really are, in their constitution and order, the sum of them here followeth :

1. Ecclesiastical policy, church government, or church discipline, is nothing else but that form and order that is to be observed in the church of Christ upon earth, both for the constitution of it and all the administrations that are therein to be performed; the parts of which are all of them exactly described in the word of God, and is