The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-09-02

ing and they claim no peCfyf or pr1ogGhV''
but what they fuppofc the congregational
plan of church government gives them. And
if any of the pnJaOrs and their Fofk' ihould
differ in their fentimen,s with refpcCt to The
extent of ,hofe psaUri and prsrsafiV'i, our
contribution makes provlion for general e'EH
ciLs or GnOds, where all thole matters are to
be DETERMINED. The rules of our plat
form are not like the laws of the Mfdss ard
PeGans They may be altered yea the
platform itieIf may be intirely ies aide, and
new one formed whenever the churches
pleafe, which are in communion with each
other.
From the nature of our eccleGahical contti
tuition, muf confeis, it does not appear to
me, at prefcnt, that we are in much Danger
Of eeeLeGaRieai tyranny, notwithstanding ma
ny of our good people feem greatly alarmed
We Mould be UNREASONABLE, if we com
planned Of our civil ia1vS as cruel and oppfei
| five, while we made them ourlelves, and
could alter them al plealuTc. And as the
rules of our platform, as far as they are Ci
human compoiurc, wcie made by the church
es, and may be altered BY them whenever
they think proper, cannot conceivs dts
being poiIible for US to enjoy greater hbertyl
or to be more tfs7HOly fecured sgarntt lH
ritual Elimination.
IL is very Syuely 10 your icniiments with
differ s6inc rights, or the p0s0srJ anu pre-
regGfiVes of minjfeys, and | believe it mutt
be acknowledged you treated Mr. Adams,
and all who agree with him 10 opinion, with
quite as much jtvtyiy as Mr.. Adams hao
treated his Bolton neighbour. - You arc
pleafed to fay, you Z" y@Ould as (oOn think d
prOViEg in mode and fgnrs,fbat aafus farm
ed BY the fOns-tatftr is not 0mnipOfent, o.
that an image earVtd y1qerdoy, exJGed nOi
fr0m eternity as sfdyPrsviag that a poaUo
to rsHdsr Void and Of no sff< the VStes q a
church Of CbriR, ytjidts in a fable esat a
f0rebsdb0nd or a mniGeriaI bsaver."
In this fentence my good Sir, we are GER
tainIy more obliged to you for your rbH0rie,
than we are for the clearnefs of Jour reofoni1g.
II you mean no more than what is contained
in the grammatical contribution, am quite
Of your opinion for BY no means fuppofe,
there is more power reGding in black coat,
than in a 1vbits one, ia biz of cambfick at
the mex, than at the sOyiq-or in a mlnif.
terial beaver, than in hat of the leaf Gze
and moff fashionable contribution: But if you
mean, as no doubt you do, you lhoulo as foon
think of undertaking the mott abiurd thing in
nature, as Of dilproving that pauOsv q ren
dsring Vsid and Of no tffS1 The VstES Of the
cbartb Of Cbvja, ysifdtJ in PAsToR, chofen
by the people, | hope you will not expea
the understanding ofyour readers will De
enlightened BY the Arength of your expref
lions, or that Mr.. ZdamJ, or any Of bis way
ofthinking, will be frightened out of their
fentiments, BY the contempt with which you
treat them"
What degree of I" iudignGfiSH' may be
raiGed sgainf Mr.. adams, or any of bis bre
|shren, | am nor able to pyspbey but hope
| in this dsy'of enquiry, /" any gsnfiemG5" what
foevcr may be allowed to deliver their ienii-
ments t1sHJ without expOGng themfeIves to
he awful 6 dsm" which you have predicted.
am, Sir, as tar as ! kaow myfelf, real
friend to the rights of the churches, and
can hardly conceive Of any thing that
would more eFeaually raife my indignation
againft miajgsr, than his affirming airs Of
IlurefiOrity or wantonIy nega.iVing the votes
his people.
But while ! would watch over the rights
Of the churches with the mott careful eye,
cannot delre ne I'aj2srs Of them to he
mere c,FheTs in matters OF government, Of