CHAPTER II.

We must now cross the Atlantic, as our plan will lead us to alternate between England and America. The alliance of Churches with the State formed by the Puritan settlers of 1630 gave to them a peculiarity that renders it difficult to trace their subsequent history with accuracy. Their position was anomalous, and involved them in manifold difficulties arising from political conflict. The influence of INCREASE MATHER (one of the ejected Ministers of 1662), formerly paramount, now began to wane. With his son, COTTON MATHER, he had held the first place in the government of Harvard College, but their ascendency was disliked, and, as it would appear, because of their strict adherence to Ecclesiastical order as it existed in New England prior to 1688.

Brattle

THOMAS BRATTLE took the initiative in the formation of a Congregational Church in Boston, deviating to some extent from the "Cambridge Platform." As yet, however, Evangelical doctrines were not openly discarded.

Street
Church.

"We approve," the promoters of the movement said, "and subscribe the Confession of Faith put forth by the Assembly of

Divines at Westminster. We only design the true and pure worship of God, according to the rules appearing plainly to us in His Word; conformably to the known practice of many of the Churches of the United Brethren in London and throughout all England."

The historian of Harvard College maintains that none of the founders of the Church were "adherents to the rigid doctrines of the Early Established Church of New England," but whatever their private views, these doctrines were not disclaimed in their "Manifesto" or public Declaration" of their object.

"We think it convenient," it is there stated, "for preventing all misapprehensions and jealousies, to publish our aims and designs, together with those principles and rules we intend, by God's grace, to adhere to."

They attached no special importance, it is true, to an open confession of faith.

"We assume not to ourselves to impose upon any a public relation of their experiences; however, if any one think himself bound to make such a relation, let him do it.

"For we conceive it sufficient, if the pastor publicly declare himself satisfied in the person offered to our communion, and seasonably propound him.

"If no objection be made before the time of their standing propounded is expired, it shall be esteemed a sufficient consent and concurrence of the brethren, and the person propounded shall be received to our communion.

"We cannot confine the right of choosing a minister to the male communicants alone, but we think that every baptized adult person who contributes to the maintenance, should have a vote electing."

Higginson and Noyes, the ministers of Salem, wrote to the "Undertakers a letter of admonition

in which they pointed out the discrepancies between the "Manifesto" and the "Heads of Agreement assented to by the United Ministers." *

An invitation was sent to BENJAMIN COLMAN, at that time resident in Bath, to the following effect:

Thinking it high time to conclude on a minister, on the 2nd instant (May, 1699) there was a general meeting of the Undertakers, when, after we had every one of us subscribed a paper, wherein we declared we had no design to depart from the doctrine and order of the Gospel, or from the practice of the Churches of Christ in New England, only leaving the matter of relations indifferent, as we, with several Churches in New England, do apprehend them,-It was unanimously voted that Mr. Benjamin Colman be addressed. with an invitation to come over hither, in order to be the minister of the Church we are now erecting.

"We do hereby signify to you the desire of the Undertakers, and in their name we do heartily invite you hither to be the minister of our Church, promising and obligating ourselves, in case of your compliance with our call, if we do not settle you among us, which there is no doubt upon, that we will satisfy you for all the damage you shall receive thereby. We are all of us very desirous that you be ordained before you come over by some Nonconformist ministers in England, the more eminent they are the better it may be." t

Colman gives the following record in the Church Book:

"I had been absent from this my native country upwards of four years, employed as a candidate for the evangelical ministry, to which my parents and my own choice devoted me, occasionally preaching in the City of London, the University of Cambridge, and the town of Ipswich, in England, for about the space of two years, and then more statedly had been appointed

Lothrop's History of the Church in Brattle Street, Boston, pp. 20-25. + Ibid., pp. 46, 47.

by the Presbyterian Board at London to be the Minister of the Dissenting Congregation in the City of Bath, Somersetshire; when, on the 19th day of July, 1699, I received an invitation from the gentlemen, the Undertakers of this Church, subscribed by Mr. Thomas Brattle, Captain Benjamin Davis, Mr. John Mico, Mr. Thomas Cooper, and Mr. John Colman, in the name of the rest, to come over to be their minister, only proposing to me that the Holy Scriptures might be publicly read every Sabbath in the worship of God, and that they might lay aside the relation of experiences, which were imposed in the other Churches in the town, in order to the admission of persons to the Lord's table.

"The invitation was accepted by me; and the more acceptable it was by reason of the kind and encouraging letters which accompanied it from my excellent friends, the Hon. Mr. John Leverett, the Rev. William Brattle, Ebenezer Pemberton, Simon Bradstreet, and others.

"Being arrived at London, August 1st, 1699, I asked ordination of the Presbytery there, and on the fourth day of said month the solemnity was attended, after a public lecture, at the Meeting House of the Rev. Mr. Christopher Taylor, in Leather Lane, to whom I succeeded in Bath. I was ordained by prayer, with the imposition of the hands of the Rev. Richard Stratton, John Spademan, Robert Fleming, and Christopher Taylor. Mr. Stratton prayed, Mr. Spademan made the exhortation; from many other reverend members I received testimonials of my good conversation while in England.

"On Wednesday, the 1st of November, 1699, I arrived at Boston through the favour of God. The next day the Undertakers invited me to a full meeting at my brother's house. A few days after, Mr. Brattle presented me with fifty pounds in money in the name of the Undertakers. Soon after, we kept a day of thanksgiving in private to Almighty God for the many smiles of His Providence on our undertaking unto that day. I preached from 1 Chron. xxix. 13, 14." *

In this circumstantial account of the negociations and mutual agreement, the Church, as consisting of professed disciples of Christ, vanishes altogether.

* Lothrop's History of Brattle Church, p. 47, et seq.

The "Undertakers" were highly respectable men, and their pecuniary engagements were honourably fulfilled. They desired to have a minister of the first class, duly certificated, and in Colman were found all the conditions required. No questions were raised on the subject of doctrine, and, as a precedent, this silence on the matter would prepare the way for a succession of pastors in the future, who should meet the varying tastes and opinions of the people without regard to any particular creed. The company of "Undertakers" was duly recognized as a religious society.

The ministers of Boston were requested to unite with them in a day of prayer. William Brattle, tutor and afterwards Fellow of Harvard College, and a man of large estate, fully approved of the settlement. Ebenezer Pemberton was pleased to find that the invitation had been sent by "men of figure and repute." But Increase Mather and James Allen offered objections, which, on explanation, were removed, and an agreement, containing articles of peace, was signed by the ministers, and read at the commencement of the services.

Dr.

In the ministry of Colman there was no defection from the faith commonly received by the Churches. He was more remarkable, however, for his "politeness "than for any "depth as a divine." Barnard describes him as "a most gentlemanly man, of polite aspect and conversation." WILLIAM COOPER, his successor at Brattle Street, gives the following testimony :—

"He never delivered a sermon but we saw how perfectly he understood the decorum of the pulpit; and the gravity and