rest, brought in seven propositions containing matter of difference betwixt us; professing, That if this Reverend Assembly would debate them, or any one of them, they would bring in more, until they had brought in the whole Frame; and the Assembly themselves should pick and choose what they would debate and what not. These Propositions'-say they were rejected with a refusal to debate any one of them.' The true story of this business stands thus: on March 21st, 1644[-5], it was earnestly desired by several members of the Assembly that the Brethren, the dissenters, might be entreated to be a committee, to bring in what they thought further needful for the reforming of our congregations, and what they would desire in reference to their own;' as hath been touched already. This was, by those of the Brethren dissenters who were then present, opposed with greatest vigour. After some time spent in the debate of the business, when the question was drawn up in terminis, and ready to be put, perceiving the extreme averseness which was in these Brethren to undertake such a work, we forbare putting the question, lest the Brethren should complain, as they do in this paper, of our imposing' upon them. What counsels the Brethren took, we know not; but, March following, after an intimation given in the Assembly by a brother who was none of these dissenters, That one of these Brethren had something to offer about the rights of Particular Congregations;' and a motion made and assented to, that he might bring it in; ope of them, after some expressions of unwillingness, drew forth a paper containing seven Propositions: and this was the true occasion of their bringing in these Propositions, and not, as they pretend, their voluntary taking hold of a paper brought in by another Brother. The Propositions, so far as our notes and records will help us, were as followeth: 1. That there is a Platform of church-government for the Church, laid down in Scripture. 2. That this is immutable, and binding the conscience to the observation thereof. 3. That the Officers which are to be employed in those churches, as pastors, teachers, ruling-elders, and deacons, are of Divine institution. 4. That the People have an Interest in the choice of those officers. 5. That these officers are to be designated, each of them, to their functions, by imposition of hands and by prayer. 6. That what Power these should have, and over whom they should have it, is of Divine institution. 7. Where there is a sufficient number of Presbyters in any one Congregation, then may the two great ordinances of Excommunication and Ordination be administered.' These Propositions, we conceive, were brought in by the consent' of all these Brethren, because now they say so; which is more than themselves affirm of any of their other papers, unless the first which was given in, about Ordination; yet themselves, in the debate of them, did not agree upon some of the terms; nor will they, we suppose, say, that all these Propositions contain matter of difference betwixt us.'

"But as to the laying of these Propositions aside; we answer, 1. That these Propositions were not to the purpose of what was then before the Assembly, nor what was desired, and expected from us, namely, 'What they thought further needful in the reformation of our congregations; and what they desired in reference to their own: all

or most of what these Propositions contain having been before debated in the Assembly. 2. They were not tendered as already formed up for dispute; but it was added, by him that brought them in, • These Propositions we are ready to form up, if the Assembly think fit.' 3. It was then particularly objected, That they had not brought them in with Scriptures and proofs annexed, as had been formerly used in committees; and offer made, several times, that if they would bring them in with proofs annexed, the Assembly was ready to receive them. 4. Neither indeed can they be said purposely to be brought into the Assembly; for when the reporter had read them, he put them up again without leaving either the original or a copy of them in the Asseinbly; and refused to give them in, though called for by divers; as likewise, another time, another of these Brethren having delivered a paper to a committee of the Assembly, for Accommodation, desired afterwards, that he might have it to peruse and transcribe it; which being obtained, we could never recover from him to this day either the paper or a copy of it; and when it hath been called for in the Assembly-as it hath been often-he still replied that he had it not about him. Only once, he drew it out and read it over, in the Assembly, with speed more than enough; and being desired then to deliver it in, he refused then to deliver it in to the Assembly; but said, if he must deliver it again he would deliver it to the chairman of that committee from whence he had it; who, not being then present, did not then or since receive it from him; though a paper much called for and desired, and often demanded by that chairman. All this while, the Brethren have been complaining about papers they brought in to the Assembly: but all this, is but to shape an excuse for their not bringing in papers as was expected: namely, Their Frame' or Model of Church-government;' according to the desire and order of the Assembly.

"xvi. The occasion of which Order was indeed, as they say, a book intituled The Way of the Churches of Christ in New England,' and published here by N. H., and I. H., who, in their Epistle to the Reader say they have been informed, that these' their Brethren'speaking of the dissenting Brethren' in this Assembly- formerly tendered themselves, that in case they might be put into a committee, or like meet posture, they would bring in the whole Frame of their judgments in a body, with their grounds and reasons: that now, very lately they gave in [seven] Propositions to be discussed, with promise of more; but neither [not any] of them was debated.' This 'book,' say the Brethren, they had no hand in, no knowledge of: but they do not say they had no hand in giving information to the Prefacers to this book so they say they had no hand in publishing the papers called A copy of their Remonstrance;' but they will not, we hope, say that none of them had a hand in showing or communicating the written copy, or a transcript thereof, either before or since it came in to the Assembly.

·

The Assembly finding themselves nearly touched by that misrepresentation which these men had made of their proceedings to the world, and knowing that they had often desired, and almost enjoined,

a See back, vol. ii. p. 560.

the Brethren to be a committee to that purpose; but not remembering that the Brethren had tendered themselves unto such a capacity, took the thing into a strict inquiry; and the most that could be alleged particularly of that nature, for our Brethren, was but this, That upon Feb. 11th 1644[-5], one of them made an offer of being made a committee; which, upon review of that day's proceedings, we find to be thus; upon a motion of another brother in the Assembly, That they would use this argument against the Propositions in debate-concerning the lawfulness of Appeals-That if every congregation ought to have all and sole Power, independently, and that their sentence cannot be rescinded by any other Power; then there can be no appeal to another court;' desiring that they would prove such irrevocable Power in congregations; or, if they did not like the terms of the Propositions, they would be a committee, and bring in Propositions to their own sense one of the Brethren replied, With all his heart, because it was said they were still upon the Negative; and, that [as] it was said abroad, they did not hold forth their mind; they would bring in Propositions, if the Assembly pleased, to be disputed;' which presently was well resented in the Assembly, many of them expressing their approbation of the motion, and that they were very glad to hear it, being that which they most desired, and nothing would please them more than that these Brethren would clearly hold out their judgments; and the Assembly in the midst of the other debate were going about to make them a committee to bring in what Propositions they pleased, according to the Ordinance of Parliament. And when in the Assembly, it was called to Order it, many having approved the motion, and none speaking against it, the brother who had before professed his willingness, began to object That they must know first for what they should be a committee; and, what was meant byaccording to the Ordinance of Parliament; and, that the Assembly must first move the Parliament about it, and then they should see what they,' these Brethren, would do.' And another of these Brethren moved expressly against it, upon the same grounds that are now objected, 'That there were many things already concluded; that it was to no purpose to make such an overture; that they could not bring in what was their judgments, without contradicting what was already voted:' whereupon, the offer being made but by one of these Brethren-though indeed, as they use to do, he used the word 'we,'-and not seconded by any of the rest, though there were divers of them present, but flatly opposed by one of them, and even by himself clogged, notwithstanding the profession of his willingness!' the Assembly desisted, and returned to their former debate about the Propositions before them; which is the true reason why the motion so well resented in the Assembly, did not proceed. The Assembly therefore, for vindication of themselves from this aspersion, did, upon the fourth of April, notwithstanding [the] much opposition of these Brethren, unanimously resolve upon the question, That the Brethren of this Assembly that had formerly entered their dissent to the Propositions about Presbyterial Government shall be a Committee to bring in the whole Frame of their Judgments, concerning Church-government, in a body, with their Grounds and

Reasons' in the last part of which Order, we thought fit to retain the words of the Prefacers, though scarce sense.

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"xvii. To this Order they pretend they yielded' with willingness' provided they might bring it in part by part. With what willingness,' their debate against this Order, pressed with vehemency the first day, and repeated again the second day, bears witness, wherein all those disadvantages wherewith this paper clogs the business, were urged and answered; as namely, The main part of the Presbyterial Government -as namely, that about Ordination; and, Government of Presbyters over many Congregations; and, The subordination of Classical, Provincial, and National Assemblies-had been voted by the Assembly, and sent up to the Honourable Houses.' And so they were, before the eleventh of February—which yet was the time, and the only time, so far as we can remember-that any of these Brethren made any overture to this Assembly, of bringing in a Model of their Way. And if the voting of these things were not looked upon as advantages; then, why are they pleaded as disadvantages,' to have undertaken it on the eleventh of February? Why were they so averse from it on the twenty-first of March, and on the fourth and fifth of April? They cannot but remember-yea, they do remember it was said, That something of Church-government remained undiscussed;' but was that all? -it was said, and by several Brethren made evident, that what the Assembly had voted and transmitted to the Honourable Houses, had not so precluded them but [that] they had scope enough still to bring in whatsoever they could assert and prove, about the Power of Particular Congregations; and there was scarce anything voted to the prejudice of the presumed or supposed rights of Particular Congregations, save only in the matter of Appeals. For, whatever had been voted lawful for Classes and Synods to do, did not thereby exclude Congregations from having such a Power likewise, if they could prove that by the Institution of Christ, such a Power belongs to them: besides many other things, which these Brethren suppose to be the rights of Particular Congregations, and that Christ hath invested them therewith,' which the Assembly had not determined against: and the question about Excommunication-at least if the Assembly have, as they charge us, 'declined to this day, the entire Power of Censures in Congregations,-about Election of Officers, and the People's Power therein;' as likewise, the sufficiency of Election to constitute Officers, without Ordination;' about the Constitutions of Congregations; and the way of gathering and constituting of Churches; their Church-Covenant; and the qualifications of those that are to be Church-Members; and what it is doth constitute a man a Member of a Visible Church :' these and many other particulars, were yet res integra, as was then declared. And it was further declared, that even in those things which the Assembly had voted and transmitted to both Houses of Parliament, yet we did not so lean to our own understandings, nor so prize our votes, but that if these Brethren should hold forth such light unto us as might convince us of an error, we should not only desire the Parliament to give us leave to revise our votes, but to revoke them if there should be cause. And when it was moved by some in the Assembly,

to add a proviso, That they bring not in anything which hath been already determined in the Assembly; it was gainsaid by others moving, That there might be no such restriction, but that they be left to bring in what they would, so that they brought it in with their grounds and reasons: and accordingly, the questions drawn up March 21st and the resolved April 4th, were without any such restriction. But this reasonable satisfaction was not, we suppose, the ground why they yielded to be a committee:' that which overruled the case was, that they might take away all jealousies that they were unwilling to discover what they held;' which whether they can do, or not, by the carriage of this business, time will give them to understand!

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"xviii. Well however, 'purposed' they were, and resolved among themselves,' to do this work, but to do it in as convenient a time as a work of such a compass could, in such a manner as was proposed by us, be despatched by them.' It seems, then, the manner purposed by us,' that they should bring in the Model entire, and not part by part,' was it that troubled them. Indeed it was contended for with some earnestness, that they might bring it in part by part, as the Presbyterian-Government was brought in to the Assembly." And one of the Brethren was so earnest in this contest as that he did professedly disclaim any hand in it, unless it might be brought in part by part.' For our parts, we counted it our unhappiness, and found it to be greatly to our prejudice, that we were necessitated to bring in the Presbyterial-Government part by part;' but our Brethren know it could not be avoided; for the Assembly being, by the Ordinance whereby they sit, bound to treat only of such matters as shall, from time to time, be propounded to them by both or either of the Houses of Parliament, and no others,' could not appoint committees to consult and make preparations for matters of Church-government till they had received an Order from the Honourable House to that purpose. And having received this Order, they stood obliged now to lay by the Articles of Religion,' in the review whereof they had hitherto spent their time, and to fall upon the consideration of Church-government, which being now by Ordinance of Parliament put into the hands of the Assembly, and made the subject of our debates, the committees could not have time to perfect the whole platform, but must bring it in by parts as they could despatch them, lest the Assembly should have no work at all before them. But if the Assembly had thought fit to have chosen seven men, and made them a committee to bring in a Platform or Model of Government according to their own judgments without respect to the judgment of other Brethren, and left them to their own time as these Brethren were left, and privileged them from other services and attendance in the Assembly and committees as some of these Brethren have taken themselves to be; we doubt not, through the grace of God, but they would have brought in a Model of Government perfect and entire, in fewer months than we have waited for theirs. As for the Assembly's bringing in of the Government per partes, it was by constraint; but our Brethren made it a matter of choice and contest. What the design of this should be, we know not, unless to gain time and conceal themselves still, and detain us yet longer in