Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-07-17

N.'~S "hU vi u eOHcW IatCi tinS-
They were evidently no fanatics. The three
simple points upon which Brewster and his
Afo-religioaists founded their right of separa-
tion from the Established Church at that
time were these: L. The determination not
TO support and attend upon many prescribed
Tclesiasticai forms, not perhaps wicked in
themselves, but inwoven with ordinances
tnd opinions that they esteemed Popish.
+. The claim to the right of individual inter
|pretation of the Scriptures. 3. The asser-
ton of the right to exclude immoral persons
from their church communion. These points
compelled them to be separatIsts,
not only driving them to separation from
the Church of England, but from their ma
tive soil, and finally compelled them to be-
eome g strangers and pilgrims = on a totally
new and foreign shore The calm and en-
hghtened character of Brewster himself for
bids us supposing that he would have
undertaken anything unreasonable, wild, or
visionary. He and his coadjutors were not
disorderly persons, and did not 20 lawlessly
to work. They constituted themselves into
church, 8. to walk in all his ways made
known OF to be made known unto them,
according to their best endeayors, tchaterer
il should cost them These last were no
empty words. spoken as they were in times
of persecution, when the government of the
land. stimulated by the State Church, was
s.ernlv determined to crush out the life of
dissent irem the kingdom. The church thus
established was the model of all our New
England churches to this day. and was or
eapized it is supposed about the year 1902
In 1905 Brewster was chosen an elder, and
Clifton the pastor. John Robinson of New
ark, Norwich County, then makes his APP
pearance as teacher and preacher of this
humble church. This little church removed
witt! much difficulty, loss, and peril, during
the pastorate of Richard Clifton, as one reli-
yious body to Holland though in to divisions.
They went first to Amsterdam and after
ward portion drew off with John Robinson
snd settled in Leyden and it was this 6or
:ion of the Scrooby and Brewster, Leyden and
and Robinson church. which formed the in
,egral part of the one hundred souls who re-
turned to England in the Speed,ceH, and who
finally embarked in the MaYfo,rer from
Plymouth. The remainder Of the people, and
many other English refugees for conscience
sake crossed over soon after by other vessels
to America. But these were. by eminence
the {" Pilgrim Fathers :" the separatists from
the non-conformists the purest siftings of
the wheat the - Puritans Of the Puritans.
They were, it is true, mostly unknown Lin
colnshre ditchers, and plain Nottingham
shire farmers, and now and then a yeoman,
and man of family and education. They
were diligent readers of the Bible, and were
really superior in their moral convictions,
and their spiritual elevation To the rest of
Englishmen at that time. As Governor Brad
ford wrote of them. - but they knew they
were pilgrims. and looked not so much on
these things, hut lift up their ewes to the
heavens. their dearest country, and quicted
their spirits" They formed neither the
highest nor the lowest class in the land, but
the class of independent agriculturists, of
:. free socage tenants" who were the root of
English freedom. and the English civil CON
stitution They had besides Il small but pure
leaven of consecrated learning in their body.
Who. indeed. would ask but for one such ca
pacious mind as that of John Robinson,
whom God had made great, wise, and pro-
phetic, to be the founder ola free and mighty
people - He was, says contemporary.
speaking of the Puritans, d" the most learned
and. polished, and modest spirit, that ever
that sect enjoyed The great words which
he spake at the time of parting with his flock
at Delft Haven are an estimahle legacy to Us
for all time - We are now ere long to part
asunder. and the Lord knoweth whether ever
he should live to see our faces again But
charr.d rs before God and his 81 besss5 m s h
to follow him no further than he follow cd
Christ and if God should reveal any thing
to US by any other instrument of his, to be as
ready to receive il as ever we were to receive
the truth of his ministry for he was very
confident the Lord had more light and truth
vet 10 break out of his HOLY " ord. He took
occasion also to bewall the state and condi-
ton of the reformed churches. who were
come t. a period in religion. and would go
no further than the instrument of their refor-
nation. AS for example the Lutherians. they
could not be drawn to 60 beyond what Luther
saw for whatever part of Gods Will he had
further impaired to Calvin. they would rather
die than embrace it And SO also. saith he,
YOU see the Calvinists, they stick where he
left them, u misery much to be lamented
for though they were precious shining lights
in their times, vet God had not revealed his
whole will to them and were they now will
ling, smith he, they would be as ready to en-
brace further light they had received ;"
While thus IL man of far-sighted penetration
and progress. he was firm upon the great
truths of our Christian faith He had the
spirit of Christ, and united courage with
mildness His = New Essays on Things
Moral and Divine " contain passages which
for smoothness and vigor of style. compare
well with the writings of Hooker, or Hall
or any of his contemporaries. - Faith. he
says, as a welcome passenger must be well
CaFTleu anu cOuNtNcI a cCtt VI
saton, in vessel of conscience, that it suf-
fer not shipwreck directed by the chart of
Gods Word and promises rightly understood,
that it run not a wrong course and having
ever in READINGS the anchor of hope against
a stress and continually gathering into the
outspread sails of heart enlarged by prayer
and meditation, the sweet and prosperous
gusts of God. Holy Spirit to drive it to the
desired haven" In the same essay he says
- Lastly, touching love as it is the affection
of union 80 it makes after sort the loving
and loved one such being the force thereof
a. that he that loveth suffereth kind Of con
version into that which he loveth, and by
frequent meditation of it uniteth it with his
understanding and affection. o how happy
is the man. who 10y the sweet feeling OF the
love of God shed abroad in his heart, is there
by. by the most strong cords of Heaven
drawn with all the heart To love God who
hath loved him. and SO becomes one with
him, and rests upon him for all good. These
are passages taken at random. 1t is strange
that his writings are not more read by Amerl
can Christians
! 1t is said Of Bradford, II worthy disciple
of Robinson in largeness of soul and mental
culture. that he mastered the Latin and
Greek and studied Hebrew, because - he
would see with his own eyes the ancient
oracles of God in their native beauty.
Brewster himself was man of no mean ac
auirements. His library, which was th'
| principal part of the estate he left, consisted
of two hundred and seventy-fve volume +,
sixty -four of them being on the learned Ian
guages. Other Cambridge scholars followe'
them shortly after, among whom was tha
wise and gentle spirit. John Cotton, tn
founder or father Of Boston.
Such were the men who were gathered to
gethcr in that small despised religious com
munion, and who came TO the New World a
a united Christian church, impelled by pure
| ly spiritual motives, without any admixtur