congregation; and that the keys of government were given to every congregational church. The public worship of God at Boston was, therefore, conducted without the fetters and formality of a liturgy, or those vestments and ceremonies which were imposed by the commandments of men. Many of his people united together as a christian church, and enjoyed the fellowship of the gospel, upon congregational principles, "entering into a covenant with God and one another, to follow the Lord Jesus in all the purity of gospel worship."* Mr. Cotton was a celebrated divine, and obtained a most distinguished reputation. The best of men greatly loved him, and the worst greatly feared him. For his great learning, piety, and usefulness, he was highly esteemed by Bishop Williams, who, when he was keeper of the great scal, recommended him to the king, and his majesty allowed him, notwithstanding his nonconformity, to continue in the exercise of his ministry. The celebrated Archbishop Usher had the highest opinion of him, and maintained a friendly correspondence with him. One of his letters, written by the learned prelate's request, dated May 31, 1626, is upon the subject of predestination. He was also greatly admired and esteemed by the Earl of Dorset, who kindly promised him, that, if he should ever want a friend at court, he would use all his interest in his favour. But, in the midst of all this honour and applause, his meekness and humility remained untarnished. Mr. Cotton, having preached at Boston nearly twenty years, found it impossible to continue any longer. He beheld the storm of persecution fast approaching, and wisely withdrew from it. A debauched fellow of Boston, to be revenged upon the magistrates, for punishing him according to his deserts, brought complaints against them, together with Mr. Cotton, in the high commission court; and swore," "That neither the minister nor the magistrates of the town kneeled at the sacrament, nor observed certain Mather's History, b. iii. p. 18. + Fuller's Church History, b. ix. p. 228. Parr's Life of Usher, p. 338. Clark's Lives, p. 220, 221. When this vile informer first appeared before the commission, he complained only of the magistrates; and when the spiritual rulers said he must include Mr. Cotton, he replied, “Nay, the minister is an honest man, and never did me any wrong." But when they signified that all his complaints would be to no purpose, unless be included the minister, he swore against them all.—Mather's Hist. b, iii. p. 19. ecclesiastical ceremonies." Bishop Laud having got the reins of government into his own hand, by his arbitrary influence, letters missive were sent down to apprehend Mr. Cotton and bring him before the commission; but he wisely concealed himself. Great intercessions were made for him by the Earl of Dorset and others, but all to no purpose. This worthy earl sent him word, "That if he had been "guilty of drunkenness or uncleanness, or any such lesser "crime, he could have obtained his pardon: but as he was "guilty of nonconformity and puritanism, the crime was "unpardonable. Therefore," said he, "you must fly for "your safety." So it was undoubtedly from painful experience, that Mr. Cotton afterwards made the following complaint: "The ecclesiastical courts," said he, "are like the courts of the high-priests and pharisees, which Solomon, by a spirit of prophesy, styleth, dens of lions, and mountains of leopards. Those who have had to do with them have found them to be markets of the sins of the people, the cages of uncleanness, the forgers of extortion, the tabernacles of bribery, and contrary to the end of civil government; which is the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of them that do well." As this holy and excellent divine had no prospect of ever enjoying his liberty in his native country, he resolved to transport himself to New England. Upon his departure from Boston, he wrote a very modest and pious letter to the Bishop of Lincoln, dated May 7, 1633, signifying his resignation of the living. Dr. Anthony Tuckney, afterwards silenced in 1692, who had for some time been his assistant, became his successor in the pastoral office. Mr. Cotton's resolution to remove into a foreign land was not hasty and without consideration: the undertaking was the result of mature examination, and founded upon most substantial reasons. He observed, that the door of public usefulness was shut against him in his own country; that our Lord commands his disciples, when they are persecuted * Mather's Hist. b. iii. p. 19.-While this pious, learned and useful divine was treated with great severity, persons guilty of drunkenness and other foul crimes, very common among the clergy of those times, were very seldom noticed. One instance, however, it may be proper here to mention. The mayor of Arundel, in the year 1634, imprisoned a clergyman for notorious drunkenness and misbehaviour, though he continued only one night under confinement. But, surprising as it may appear, the mayor, for this act of justice, was fined and censured by the high com mission at Lambeth.-Huntley's Prelates' Usurpations, p. 164. + Massachusets' Papers, 249-251. + Palmer's Noneon. Mem. vol. i. p. 264. in one place to flee unto another; and that he wished to enjoy all the ordinances of God in their scriptural purity. Taking leave of his numerous friends at Boston, he travelled to London in disguise. Upon his arrival in the metropolis, several eminent ministers proposed to have a conference, with a view to persuade him to conform, to which he readily consented. At this conference, all their arguments in favour of conformity were first produced; all of which Mr. Cotton is said to have answered to their satisfaction. He then gave them his arguments for nonconformity, with his reasons for resolving to leave the country, rather than conform to the ecclesiastical impositions. In the conclusion, instead of bringing Mr. Cotton to embrace their sentiments and conform, they all espoused his opinions; and from that time Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Thomas Goodwin, Mr. Philip Nye, Mr. John Davenport, Mr. Henry Whitfield, and some others, became avowed nonconformists, for which they were all afterwards driven into a foreign land.t Mr. Davenport, one of the opponents, giving his opinion of this conference, thus observes: " Mr. Cotton," says he, "answered all our arguments with great evidence of scripture, composedness of mind, mildness of spirit, constant adherence to his principles; keeping them unshaken, and himself from varying from them, by any thing that was spoken. The reason of our desiring to confer with him, rather than any other, upon these weighty points, was, our former knowledge of his approved godliness, excellent learning, sound judgment, eminent gravity, and sweet temper, whereby he could quietly bear with those who differed from him."+ Mr. Cotton having fully resolved upon crossing the Atlantic, John Winthrop, esq. governor of the new plantation, procured letters of recommendation from the church at Boston to their brethren in New England. He took shipping the beginning of July, 1633, and arrived at Boston in New England the beginning of September following. He had for his companions in the voyage, the excellent Mr. Hooker and Mr. Stone, both driven from their native country by the intolerant proceedings of the bishops. After being about a month at sea, Mrs. Cotton was delivered of a son; who, from the place of his birth, was * Massachusets' Papers, p. 55-57. + Mather's Hist. b. iii. p. 20-218. Norton's Life of Mr. Cotton, p. 32, 33. Edit. 1658. called Seaborn. Upon their arrival at Boston, the town, which had been hitherto called Trimountain, on account of its three hills, was, out of respect to Mr. Cotton, who went from Boston in Lincolnshire, now called Boston. This learned divine, presently after his arrival, was chosen colleague to Mr. John Wilson, in the church at Boston, which soon proved an unspeakable blessing to the town. It was in part owing to his wisdom and influence, that in a few years it became the capital of the whole province. Previous to Mr. Cotton's arrival, the civil and ecclesiastical constitutions were both in a very shattered state; but, by his vigorous and judicious efforts, the utmost order and agreement were promoted; and, it is said, he was more useful than any other person in the settlement of the civil as well as the ecclesiastical polity of New England. About the year 1642, when the episcopal power began to decline in England, several of the leading members in both houses of parliament wrote to him, warmly pressing him to return to his native country; but he, enjoying the blessings of peace and safety, was unwilling to venture out in the midst of the storm. He therefore continued at Boston to the day of his death. About this time, numerous antinomian and familistic errors began to be propagated in various parts of New England, particularly at Boston. This raised a dreadful tempest among the people. Mrs. Hutchinson, and Mr. Wheelwright, her brother, were at the head, and Mr. Cotton was deeply involved in the unhappy affair. Indeed, some of our historians do not hesitate to affirm, that he imbibed some of their wild opinions; but, upon farther examination, he saw his error, and renounced them. Others deny the whole charge, and endeavour to prove it altogether a slander intended to injure his reputation. All, however, agree, that at the synod of Cambridge, in 1646, he openly declared his utter dislike of all those opinions, as being some of them heretical, some blasphemous, some erroneous, and all incongruous. At the above synod, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Richard Mather, and Mr. Ralph Partridge, were each appointed to draw up a platform of church government, with a view to collect one out of them all at the next Morse and Parish's Hist. of New Eng. p. 40. + Ibid. p. 54. Bailie's Dissuasive, p. 57-59.-Morse and Parish's Hist. p. 142. synod; which was done accordingly. Till this platform was adopted, the churches of New England made frequent use of Mr. Cotton's book, entitled, "The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.". This celebrated divine, after his removal to New England, held a friendly correspondence with many persons of distinction in his native country, among whom was the Protector Cromwell. One of the protector's letters, written with his own hand, dated October 2, 1652, is here inserted verbatim, for the satisfaction of every inquisitive reader. The address is, "To my esteemed friend, Mr. Cotton, pastor to the church at Boston in New England;" and the letter itself is as follows: "Worthy sir, and my christian friend, "I received yours a few dayes since. It was welcome "to me because signed by you, whome I love and honour "in the Lord: but more to see some of the same grounds of "our actinges stirringe in you, that have in us to quiet us "to our worke, and support us therein, which hath had "greatest difficultye in our engagement in Scotland, by "reason wee have had to do with some whoe were (I "verily thinke,) godly; but, through weaknesse and the "subtiltye of Satan, involved in interests against the Lord "and his people. With what tendernesse wee have pro"ceeded with such, and that in synceritye, our papers "(which I suppose you have seen) will in part manifest, "and I give you some comfortable assurance off. The "Lord hath marvellously appeared even against them; and "now againe, when all the power was devolved into the "Scottish kinge and malignant partye, they invadinge "England, the Lord rayned upon them such snares as the "inclosed will shew, only the narrative is short in this, that "of their whole armie, when the narrative was framed, not "five of their whole armie returned. Surely, sir, the Lord ❝is greatly to be feared as to be praised. Wee need your "prayers in this as much as ever; how shall we behave "ourselves after such mercyes? What is the Lord a "doeinge? What prophesies are now fulfillinge? Who " is a God like ours? To know his will, to doe his will, ❝are both of him. "I tooke this libertye from businesse to salute thus in a "word: truly I am ready to serve you, and the rest of our ❝brethren, and the churches with you. I am a poor weake • Morse and Parish's Hist. p. 145, 146. |