THE Caſe of the firſt Church and Pariſh in Springfield, with Reſpect to the Settlement of the Rev. Mr. Robert Breck in the paſtoral Office among them, has indeed made a great Noiſe through the Country; and the Conduct of thoſe who have been immediately concern'd, approv'd or blam'd, according to the Information Perſons have received, or as they have ſtood affected to one or other of the acting Parties. But the extraordinary Noiſe has been occaſioned by the extraordinary Methods taken to hinder the ſaid Settlement, in direct Oppoſition to thoſe Liberties of the Churches, which are confirm'd to them by Law, and they have been in the conſtant Uſe and Exerciſe of. If the Reverend Gentlemen in the County of Hampſhire, who diſapprov'd of Mr. Breck s Settlement at Springfield, could but have thought they kept themſelves pure, by forbearing to act in it themſelves, and ſending their formal Proteſt againſt it, and then left thoſe call'd by the Church to judge in the Affair, (of which Number were the Eldeſt Miniſters in their own County) to have acted according to their Light & Conſciences, without employing the ſecular Arm upon the Occaſion, much of the Noiſe had, to be ſure, been prevented. Or if after the ſtrange Interpoſition of ſome in civil Authority, to which we have very good Grounds to think the diſapproving Gentlemen of the ſacred Order were acceſſary, they could have been contented to have let the Matter remaind the Subject of Converſation only, without runing it into the public Prints, the Noiſe had been ſtill much leſs, and the Cenſures beſtow'd on either Party fewer and milder. But not thinking enough was done to blacken Mr. Breck, and bring an odious Imputation on the Council, by the two Letters publiſh'd in the Boſton Journal, Here it may be remark'd, That theſe Letters were publiſh'd the Day before the Complaint of the Church in Springfield was to be heard in the Honourable Houſe of Repreſentatives, and were induſtriouſly put into the Hands of the Members, no doubt to prepoſſeſs them, that nothing might be done in Favour of the Church or Mr. Breck. A Specimen of their fair way of managing! by theſe Gentlemen themſelves, or ſome Body that undertook their Vindication, before any Thing had been publiſh'd on the other Side of the Queſtion, they have now thruſt into the World a remarkable Piece, containing about ſeven Sheets; intitled, A Narrative and Defence of the Proceedings of the Miniſters of Hampſhire, who diſapprov'd of Mr. Breck's Settlement at Springfield. And becauſe Vis unita fortior, it is ſaid in the Title Page to be Written by themſelves. The Text of ſacred Scripture with which this Page is grac'd, is certainly very pertinent and well choſen, viz. that Paſſage of the wiſe Solomon, "He that unſwereth a Matter before be heareth it, it is Folly and Shame unto him". It may therefore well be ſuppos'd thoſe into whoſe Hands their Narrative has been put, have ſuſpended their Judgment, till they hear the other Side, and will not think themſelves Maſters of the Merits of the Cauſe, by hearing it only ex Parte. Eſpecially ſince the ſame royal Author tells us preſently after, He that is firſt in his own Cauſe, ſeemeth juſt; but his Neighbour cometh and ſearcheth him. i. e. He that ſpeaks firſt will be ſure to tell a ſtraight Story, and relate that only which makes for him, and put the beſt Colour he can upon it, ſo that his Cauſe ſhall appear good, whether it be really ſo or no. But the Plaintiff having done his Evidence, 'tis fit the Defendant ſhould be heard, and have Leave to ſhew the Falſehood & Fallacy of what has been alledg'd, which perhaps may make the Matter appear quite otherwiſe than it did.

In the Introduction to their Performance, leſt the World ſhould think they had medled with what did not belong to them, they let us know that the Miniſters of the County of Hampſhire were obliged both by their Situation and Office to act in this Affair. As to their Situation, it is indeed in the ſame County; but the Churches in this ſame County are at a large Diſtance from one another. And ſome of theſe very Gentlemen live twenty, thirty, or near forty Miles from Springfield: So that ſome Miniſters in another County, and indeed in another Province, were as conveniently ſituated to have acted in the Affair as themſelves. Boſton is in the County of Suffolk; yet the Miniſters there have not tho't themſelves oblig'd by their Situation to act in the Affairs of every Church in the County. Theſe Gentlemen ſeem to lay a great Streſs in the preſent Controverſy upon their Limits as a County; tho' we are perfectly at a Loſs by what Law or Rule they make the Churches to follow the Civil Diſtricts. The Towns in the Province we know are by the Legiſlative Power laid out into Countys; but we did not know the Churches were. If they are, ſhould there not be a Shire-Church too in every County, for the holding eccleſiaſtical Courts in? Theſe would be a new Kind of Churches indeed, ſuch as we have not yet heard of. We have heard of National Churches, and of Provincial and Claſſical, but we do not know a Name for theſe, unleſs that of Comitatic may be allowed. — But it may be their Obligation is ſtronger from their Office. As to this, we ſuppoſe them by their Office to be Paſtors of particular Churches, which were committed to their Care at their Ordination; and that they are obliged to act in the Affairs of other Churches only as their Aſſiſtance, by Advice, or otherwiſe, may be deſir'd & ſought, by thoſe Churches in Communion with them that think they need it. Or if they conſider themſelves as Miniſters in the Catholic Church, and therefore obliged to take Care of all the Churches; ſo are other Paſtors: and we can't ſee but the Obligation which ariſes from hence lies upon others equally with themſelves.—But if their Situation and Office an't quite enough to give them Authority to act in the Affairs of Springfield Church, will not their being an Aſſociation do it? It ſeems the Miniſters in this County are aſſociated; and will any countenance the firſt Church in Springfield in a Rebellion againſt the Aſſociation? And becauſe we find ſuch frequent mention in their Narrative of their Aſſociation, its Meeting, Breaking up, Committee, Votes and Doings, we would here, (thinking it may be as proper a Place as any) ſpeak our Thoughts about thoſe Aſſemblies of Miniſters which are now call'd Aſſociations. And in a Word, We don't look upon them to be any Part of the Conſtitution 〈…〉 Churches; for we can't find ſo much as the 〈…〉 our Platform of Diſcipline, or the Reſult 〈…〉 • ynods, nor in the Laws of the Province. 〈…〉 therefore account them to be voluntary Meetings of Miniſters by mutual Agreement amongſt themſelves; and whether any Perſon or Society will refer themſelves to them for Advice or not, and how far they will be directed thereby, is perfectly free and voluntary. We make no Queſtion but Miniſters have as good a Right to meet together at one anothers Houſes, as other People; and if when they are ſo met, any ask their Advice upon any particular Caſe, they have without Doubt a Right to give it. And ſuch Interviews at ſtated Times, duely manag'd, may be many Ways ſerviceable, as they may help to promote brotherly Love, and their mutual Aſſiſtance in the Work of the Goſpel. But if ſuch aſſociated Paſtors, whoſe Original as an Aſſociation is only from themſelves, come at length to look upon themſelves as a ſort of Body Corporate, and aſſume the Exerciſe of Government; if they claim a Right to take the ſole or the firſt Cognizance of Eccleſiaſtical Caſes within thoſe Bounds which they have drawn for themſelves, or to direct and limit Churches in the Election of Officers, and the Calling of Councils; if they declare it irregular and unwarrantable in a particular Church to chuſe and ordain a Paſtor, without firſt conſulting them, and having their Conſent thereto; ſuch an Aſſociation of Paſtors, whereever it is found, is an Uſurpation upon the Liberties of Congregational Churches, and thoſe Churches are ſervile indeed that tamely ſubmit to them therein. And when they come ex Officio to adminiſter Oaths, it ſeems alſo to intrench upon the Authority of the Civil Magiſtrate. The Form of an Oath or Declaration taken by a particular Miniſter, by Order of an Aſſociation, may be ſeen in the Narrative, p. 49. The firſt we ſuppoſe of the Kind, which has been given to the Public, and therefore worthy of ſpecial Notice.

Well; but theſe Gentlemen being thus oblig'd to act in the Affair of the firſt Church in S—, have heard that their Conduct has been greatly blam'd; and therefore they think nothing can be more juſt, than that a true and faithful Account ſhould be given of thoſe things: Their Reputation, the Cauſe of Truth, and the Intereſt of Religion calling for it. If any Account were given, it ought, to be ſure, to be a true and faithful one; and we heartily wiſh we could ſay theirs was ſuch: But whether it is or not, and whether their Reputation, the Cauſe of Truth, and the Intereſt of Religion, are like to be ſerv'd by it, muſt now be left to their and our Readers to determine.

After the Introduction, the Performance it ſelf is divided into two general Parts, a Narrative or hiſtorical Account, and a Defence or Reaſonings upon the Caſe; tho' they are not very careful to keep theſe Parts entire; for in the Hiſtorical Account they frequently intermix ſome Scraps of Argument, and in their Reaſonings upon the Caſe, they again give an Account of Facts. And indeed they don't appear to keep to any Order or Method thro'out their whole Book; but Things are very oddly mix'd and ſcatter'd, and bro't in here and there, one would think juſt as their Heat and Paſſion at that Time prompted and hurried them. So that to track their Foot-ſteps by following them Page after Page, would be little better than a Gooſe-Chaſe, and carry the Reader hither and thither, and back to the ſame Place very often; and indeed make the Anſwer as large a Bundle of Confuſion, as their Narrative & Defence. But we hope the conſideration of nothing which they offer, of any Weight or Force, thro'out their long and labour'd Piece, will be omitted, if we purſue the following Method. viz. To

I. Make ſome General Remarks upon the Hiſtorical Part of their Performance, or the Account they give of Facts.

II. Examine thoſe Arguments they make Uſe of in their Defence, which concern the Merits of the Cauſe in Diſpute.

III. Give an Anſwer to the Charges which they make upon the Council in general, and ſome Members of it in particular, to bring an odious Imputation upon them.

IV. Gratifie the Oppoſing Gentlemen of Hampſhire themſelves, in their earneſt and repeated Requeſt, That we would let them know wherein they are to be charg'd with Uſurpation, Injuriouſneſs, &c. And,

V. Let the World know the Grounds upon which we proceeded to the Ordination of Mr. Breck to the Paſtoral Office in the Firſt Church in Springfield, and upon what Principles we think it is to be juſtified.

I. In the Firſt Place we would make a few juſt Remarks upon what may be called the Hiſtorical Part of their Book, or the Account they give of Facts. And they are theſe which follow,

(I.) Things are multiplied and repeated in a Manner that is very unneceſſary, and to a Degree that is perfectly troubleſom and nauſeous. The Charges againſt Mr. B— come over and over in different Parts of their Narrative. Teſtimonies to the ſame Things, are not only multiplied, but the Teſtimonies of the very ſame Perſons, to the ſame Things, at the ſame Times, are repeated. After they have publiſh'd the Evidences ſent to them as an Aſſociation, they muſt needs bring in thoſe that were given to the Council; tho' they relate to the ſame Matters, and did not at all belong to their Proceedings, which they call their Book a Defence of. Six or ſeven Times are ſcarcely enough to bring in Mr. B—'s ſaying, one Man lied, and he would not take another's Word for a Groat. Several Times the Reader is reminded, that one Gentleman of the Council was related to him by Marriage. And we have ſome of the ſame Stories in that Part which they call the Defence, that we had before in the Narrative. But why muſt the ſame Things be repeated ſo often, and bro't in at every other Leaf almoſt, till the Book is ſwell'd to ſo large a Size, and mounted to four Shillings and fix Pence Price? It is evident the Gentlemen affected Shew and Bulk, and had a good Will, and ſtrong Inclination, to magnifie Things, and lay on all the Load that ever they could. They ſurely tho't ſome Things could not come over too often; for in this Way they would be likely to make the deeper Impreſſion on ſome of their Readers; and thus they are not vain Repetitions, but ſerve mighty well to anſwer the very chriſtian Deſign of their Performance.

2. Their Account contains ſeveral Things very low and trifling. Amongſt others of this Nature we might take Notice of what they tell us, (P. 32) of Mr. B—'s ſinging on a certain Sabbath the three firſt Stanzas in the 35th Pſalm.—Well; and what if he did? We ſuppoſe the Pſalm is of divine Inſpiration, and given for the Uſe of the Church, as well as others. But if they would ſuggeſt that Mr. B— deſign'd to have thoſe Paſſages of Imprecation applied in the ſinging of them to his Opponents, and ſo to themſelves, they herein ſeem to make themſelves Judges of evil Thoughts: And that which ſpoils all too is, That the Pſalm was not of his chuſing, if it was of his naming: For another Gentleman preach'd 〈◊〉 him that Day, who deſir'd Mr. B— to eaſe him by praying before Sermon in the Afternoon; and Mr. B— asking him what Pſalm he ſhou'd appoint to be ſung after Prayer, he mention'd this, becauſe it was agreable to the Subject he was upon. So that had the Thing been of Importance enough to have told the World of it, yet it was not ſo much Mr. B—'s Act as theſe Gentlemen imagined.—We do not think it worth while to inform the World, (tho' we could do it) what Pſalm was appointed to be ſung at a certain Lecture, upon the Receipt of that Letter they mention in this Page, which they made ſo much Uſe of then and ſince, and thought would have effectually anſwer'd their Deſign. Some of the Miniſters that were then preſent, and obſerv'd the Spirit that was diſcover'd at the communicating that Letter, could not but think the Pſalm of Triumph that was ſung, was choſen to ſuit the joyful Occaſion.

Another ſuch pretty Tale we are entertain'd with in P. 63. There they tell us, That Mr. B— preaching from thoſe Words, Many are the Afflictions of the righteous, compar'd himſelf to David, Mordecai, and other good Men, and thoſe who oppos'd him to Haman, &c. But thoſe who have perus'd the Notes of this Sermon, know very well no ſuch Compariſon was made by Mr. B—, and that the Parallel was run only by ſome of the Hearers, who did not come to hear with that meek and teachable Frame of Spirit which the Goſpel requires. Nor did he make ſuch a Declaration as they ſpeak of, and call God to Witneſs that be was innocent of the Things laid to his Charge. His Words are groſſy miſrepreſented; for he ſaid no more than this, That God and his own Conſcience know his Character had been too unchriſtianly treated: And herein many others think with him —The telling ſuch little Stories is a plain Proof theſe Gentlemen were for letting nothing ſlip, tho' of never ſo trivial a Nature.

We ſhall mention but one Thing more under this Head, and this becauſe they ſeem to think it worthy of ſpecial Notice by the Manner in which they tell it. In the 65th Page, the Reader is entertain'd with what they call a remarkable Scene that open'd upon the 5th of October; which was this, That a young Gentleman, now of the Eccleſiaſtical Order, read Mr. B—'s Confeſſion of Faith on Horſeback Which Story ſerves to introduce this memorable Piece of Wit in the next Page, namely, That a Young Gentlemen who was preſent at that Tranſaction, made this Remark upon it, viz. The Old Horſe ſtood aſtoniſh'd at what was doing; and if be had had the Tongue of Balaam's Aſs, he would have reproved the Madneſs of the Prophet. As to the Matter of Fact refer'd to, The reading the Confeſſion of Faith on Horſe-back, we ſhall have occaſion to conſider that, and ſet it in its true Light in another Place. What we intend here is only to admire the Piece of Wit it was the Occaſion of; which if we ſhould forbear to do, they that tell it might perhaps be angry with us for our Dullneſs. But at the ſame Time we can't but lament it, that they have not gratified our Curioſity with the Name of this witty young Gentleman, and let the World know who this ſprightly Genius is, lately riſen up in the County of Hampſhire, who could with ſo quick a Turn of Thought convert the poor Old Horſe into Balaam's Aſs. Yet we would not have them think they have all the Wits in their own County neither. If the Reader will forgive our trifling, we will ſee whether we can't match them with a Wit. There was a young Gentleman amongſt us, who after he had read the Hampſhire Narrative, told the Story of a certain Roman Catholic, who thinking it high Time to get Abſolution from the Prieſt, writ down all his Sins in a great Volumn, and carried them to his Confeſſor: The Father, frightned at the Bulk of the Book, ſatisfied himſelf with asking a few Queſtions, and told him, he abſolv'd him from all his Sins. But ſays the poor Offender, What Penance do you impoſe? The Confeſſor, after a Pauſe,—anſwers, You muſt read your own Book ſeveral Times a Day for a whole Month.

We might point out ſeveral other ſuch low & little Matters as help to ſwell their Book; but it an't worth while: for we know they don't tend to the main Point; and we ask the Readers Pardon for thoſe we have ſtopt at. Only we can't help expreſſing our ſelves ſomething ſurpriz d, to ſee a Combination of ſo many able Heads and Pens, to convey ſuch trivial Matters as theſe into the World! Who would have believed it, if they had not told us they were WRITTEN BY THEMSELVES. But what is ſtill worſe, Their Account contains

(3.) Several Things that diſcover an evil and bitter, an uncharitable and unchriſtian Temper and Spirit. Such a Spirit ſufficiently diſcovers it ſelf in many Paſſages of their Book, and in diverſe of the Stories they tell of the Council, and of particular Perſons belonging to it, which if they had more of Truth in them, yet don't enter into the Merits of the Cauſe, and the whole Deſign of them muſt be only to fix, as far as they could do it, a Mark of Diſhonour & Diſgrace, where they would have it worn. Paſſing here thoſe which concern others, we will mention only what relates to Mr. B— himſelf. Sometimes indeed they pretend a Tenderneſs for his Character: And we are told of one Gentleman in particular, That caution'd the People of S— to be careful in this Reſpect, and endeavour'd to make them ſenſible how injurious it was to receive and ſpread Reports th it tended to blaſt his Reputation. And of another, Who when he let two or three of Mr. B—'s principal Friends know of the Objections that lay againſt him; deſir'd them for the preſent not to ſpeak of them. Yet it ſeems they ſo far forgot their own Cautions, that as ſoon as Mr. B— left Springfield the firſt Time, they let the Papers from Connecticut go about the Pariſh, when he was not there to make any Anſwer for himſelf. And now, that his Reputation, and therein his Serviceableneſs, may be the more effectually deſtroy'd, they in their Narrative fall upon his Morals as well as Principles; and frequently inſinuate as if his Converſation was as bad as they had repreſented his Opinions to be. He is ſpoken of in P. 43, as chargeable with ſeveral Immoralities. Yet the only one they faſten upon, (not out of Tenderneſs ſure!) is one committed when he was a Boy of about 13 Years of Age, while he was at the College; that he then ſtole Books. And for Fear the Truth of the Story ſhould be queſtion'd, they take Care to direct all that deſire to have it confirm'd, to inquire of ſuch and ſuch Perſons: Tho', it may be, not one of their Readers has been at the Pains to make the Inquiry, and ſo they might have ſav'd themſelves the Trouble of this Advertiſement. But what can be more cruel and barbarous, more contrary to Humanity as well as Chriſtianity, than to publiſh ſuch a Thing at this Time of Day, which the World knew nothing of before; which was cover'd in the Time of it by the Perſons injur'd by it, by the Governours of the College who never animadverted upon him for it, and by a good and laudable Conduct afterwards. To fetch ſuch a Thing up out of Oblivion, and publiſh it in a Way that will perpetuate the Remembrance of it to Perſons and Times that are yet to come; — What a Spirit does this diſcover?

But probably it will be ſaid, The Reaſon of publiſhing this Story is, to ſhew that he is ſtill defective in Point of Veracity; for he denied it to Mr. Clap: And this is One of the Immoralities referr'd to. — Mr. B—'s Anſwer to this, as he gave it to the Gentlemen of Hampſhire, we have in the 25th and 26th Pages of their Narrative. He there ſays, That the Report, as Mr. Clap gave it, being partly falſe, he thought he might conſiſtent with Truth deny it. For tho' he did take the Books, yet he was not expell'd the College for it, as the Report was: Nor was he ſo much as call'd to an Account for it by the Governours of the College. This was true in Fact; and was confirm'd to us by one of the Gentlemen of the Council, who was at that Time one of the Tutors of the College. Yet it might have been better, if Mr. B— had, without Reſerve or Diſguiſe, let Mr. Clap have known how the Thing was: but no Wonder if he was put into a Surpriſe and Confuſion, upon ſuch a ſudden and unexpected Queſtion; and had not the Command of his Tho'ts at that Time. Mr. B— himſelf afterward thought this would have been more prudent: And therefore in his Letter to Mr. C— has theſe Words, (P. 20.) "You having had ſome Occaſion to think I was wanting to the Truth, in the Anſwer I gave you to your Enquiry concerning the former Immorality you hcard I was guilty of, I do blame my ſelf for it, and wiſh I had ſpoken more plainly: But what I meant then, as I have often declar'd, was only this, That the Report you gave me was not wholly true. And ſo far as I have in any of theſe Things, or in my Diſcourſe with you upon the Account of them, been faulty, I ask chriſtian Forgiveneſs, &c." Yet neither this, nor the Anſwer he gave to him afterwards, when he put the Queſtion to him, Whether there was no Foundation upon which People could build ſuch a Story? viz. That he went to College very young, and that his Conduct was not as it ought to be: But that he hop'd God had given him a Sight and Senſe of his Sins, and that be was truly humbled upon the Account of them: We ſay, neither the Blame he takes to himſelf in his Letter, nor ſuch an Anſwer as this, tho' ſpoken with Tears, could prevail upon them to forbear the Publication of ſuch a Story. If this is to be tender, ſome Mens tender Mercies are Cruelty.

Tho', as we have juſt ſaid, it might have been more prudent in Mr. B—, to have anſwer'd Mr. C— in a plain and unreſerv'd Manner; yet, 'tis certain, Mr. C— had no Right to ſuch an Anſwer; for it was a Queſtion he had no Right to put: And in ſuch a Caſe a Man may lawfully give an evaſive Anſwer that is conſiſtent with Truth. The Queſtion was evidently unſeaſonable and impertinent, to ſay the leaſt. To what Purpoſe could Mr. C— ſo ſollicitouſly inquire into this Matter now? Allow it to be true, and it could not diſqualifie him for the Miniſtry. Mr. C— knew, or might have known, he had long ſince been receiv'd into the Communion of the Church in Cambridge: A public Teſtimony that his after Converſation was blameleſs.—But, perhaps it may be ſaid, Mr. C—made the Inquiry with a charitable Hope the Story was not true, & a kind Deſign to contradict it when he heard it mention'd. Whether it was juſt ſo or not, there is ſome Reaſon to doubt, when he could write to a Miniſter in Boſton, (not one of the Council) to deſire him to make Inquiry into Mr. B—'s Conduct and Behaviour when he was at the College, and ſend him an Account of what he could furniſh himſelf with: But the Gentleman in his Anſwer deſir'd to be excus'd from ſo unchriſtian a Part, and told him, He tho't the Queſtion was not how Mr. B— carried himſelf when he was a Boy at College, but what his Converſation had been ſince be became a Profeſſor of Religion, and a Candidate for the Miniſtry. Now that this has been laudable in the Opinion of the Governours of the College, what follows is another Teſtimony. A pious & charitable Gentlewoman deceas'd a few Years ſince, left 60 Pounds per Annum, to be given to two Candidates for the Miniſtry, who were ſober, diligent, and gave good Hopes of their future Serviceableneſs, to encourage them to continue at College and proſecute their Studies there; to be diſpos'd of by the Overſeers of the College: And the Overſeers referring it to the Rev. Preſident, with the reſt of the Corporation, to nominate two Candidates to them, thus qualified to receive the Donation, Mr. B— was one of the Candidates, ſo nominated and preſented to the Overſeers by the Corporation: And this was juſt at the Time of his going to Springfield.

But tho' Mr. B— did deny this ſame Story in the Manner he did, it may, all Circumſtances confider'd, be better for theſe Gentlemen not to inſiſt too ſtrongly on his being defective in Point of Veracity on this Account. For if to deny a Thing that is not wholly, or literally, true, be always inconſiſtent with Truth, perhaps ſome other People's Veracity may be tax'd, whoſe Reputation they may think more ſtrongly eſtabliſh'd than Mr. Breck's. The good Brother who carried up the Letter before-mention'd from Boſton to Hatfield, and by whoſe Means the Contents of it were ſpread about Springfield, before it reach'd where it was directed; when the Gentleman who ſent that Letter, wrote to him about his doing ſo, he received from him the following Anſwer, viz. "I would inform you that the Account you have of your Letter being put into the Hands of a mean Perſon, who carried it from Houſe to Houſe, is a Miſtake. For I did not give a Copy of it to any Body, or let any Body ever ſo much as read it, or take it out of my Hands. But we have many wrong Repreſentations made, in order to make us odious abroad. I pray God not to lay to their Charge their injuring me." Here, tho' we give full Credit to him, and believe he ſays nothing but the Truth about it; yet we don't believe he tells the whole Truth. While he ſays he did not give a Copy of it, nor let any Body ſo much as read it, or take it out of his hands, he takes a prudent Care not to ſay that he did not read it to any ſuch Perſon, and ſo put it into his Head and Mouth, tho' not into his Hands; which was a much more diſadvantageous Way of carrying it from Houſe to Houſe, than if the Letter it ſelf had been ſo carried; for we may be ſure it loſt nothing by its thus running, if it did not grow: And yet, we believe, this Gentleman and his Friends, would think it hard, if, for this, his Veracity ſhould be call'd in Queſtion. We will add but one Remark more upon their Account of Facts; and this is

(4.) That it abounds with Miſrepreſentations and Untruths. This may ſeem a hard Reflection conſidering whoſe Names it appears in; but is not more hard than juſt. As to ſome of theſe Things, their Hast and Warmth, very probably, carried them beyond their Evidence. This ſeems to be the Caſe particularly, when to evidence that the Miniſters that came from Boſton were prejudiced in Favour of Mr. B—, they ſay (p. • 3.) they had before join'd in giving him a Certificate of his Orthodoxy; when in Fact but one of them ſign'd it. From whence we may conclude they ventur'd to ſay this, before ever they had ſeen the Teſtimonial. Indeed this is made an Erratum at the latter End of the Book, and ſtands corrected; but, if we miſtake not, it was done by a Gentleman at Boſton, that look'd over that Half-Sheet before it was work'd off: And 'tis Pity but ſome knowing and faithful Friend, had done them the Kindneſs to correct ſome other more important Errata for them; eſpecially thoſe in which 'tis difficult to excuſe them from a wilfull Miſrepreſentation of Matters; as will appear when we come to ſet them in their true Light in their proper Places. Having made theſe General Remarks on their Account of Facts, we proceed

II. To examine the Arguments they make uſe of in their Defence, which do enter into the Merits of the Cauſe in Diſpute between us.

Theſe diſapproving Gentlemen have freely declar'd it to be their Minds, that thoſe Elders and Meſſengers of Churches that met at Springfield, and took upon them to ſit there as Judges in Mr. Breck's Caſe, were not regularly call'd thereto, and that they meddled with an Affair that did not belong to them, and that their Proceedings were very irregular and diſorderly. P. 77. This is freely declar'd, tis true; but it becomes them to be ſomething modeſt as well as free in their Declaration, ſince the Repreſentative Body of the Country have declar'd their Minds the other Way: For the Honourable Houſe of Repreſentatives, after a long Hearing of the Caſe, came into a Vote, That the Eccleſiaſtical Council conven'd at Springfield at the Call of the firſt Church there, to aſſiſt in the regular carrying on the Ordination of Mr. Robert Breck, was a regular Council. But theſe Gentlemen think they have very weighty Reaſons to ſupport them in the contrary Opinion and Declaration; and they are the following Ones, which we will e'en take in the Order in which they offer them.

(1.) Becauſe the prevailing Part of the Council was not of neighbouring Churches, but fetch'd from very remote Parts of the Country; in Neglect of the Churches of the Neighbourhood, and in Oppoſition to the Body of neighbouring Miniſters. But the prevailing Part of the Council, as it was call'd by the firſt Church in Springfield, did not conſiſt of Churches that were ſo remote from them. Of the Eight Churches which the Church in Springfield applied to upon this Occaſion, Four of them were in that County: If one of them would not come, and by this Means the major Part of the Churches that conven'd were not of the County, it is owing only to the Failure of that Church; and is not to be imputed to Springfield Church, nor to the Council. If the Rev. Mr. Williams of Hatfield, could but have been prevailed upon to have come with his Church, as he was earneſtly deſir'd & entreated, they would not have had it to ſay, That the prevailing Part of the Council came from remote Parts.

But if the major Part of the Council were not of what they call neighbouring Churches; was it not a regular, nor ſo much as a valid Council becauſe of this? Are Churches in the calling of Councils limited to the Vicinity, ſo that it is an Irregularity and Offence in them, if they don't take the next neighbouring Churches, and no other? This is what theſe Gentlemen aſſert; and they deliver it not only as their own Opinion, but ſay it was evidently the Mind of the Compoſers of the Platform: For they when they direct to, or mention any Application to be made by a particular Church to other Churches, from Time to Time ſpecifie neighbour Churches. In the 15th Chapter of the Platform, concerning the Communion of Churches, there is mention made ſeveral Times of Councils of neighbour Churches; and no mention of any other; yea, the Platform is wholly a Stranger to any Councils, but what are made up of neighbour Churches: Why don't the Platform ſay barely Councils of Churches? Why does it add ſuch limiting Expreſſions from Time to Time, unleſs it be a Direction to Churches where to go for Councils?

It is likely theſe Gentlemen have, upon this Occaſion, been rous'd up to look into the Platform; yet 'tis plain they have not read it with a due Care and Attention: if they had they would never have aſſerted, That as often as it directs a particular Church to apply to other Churches, it ſpecifies neighbour Churches; nor have ask'd, Why don't the Platform barely ſay Councils of Churches? Why does it add ſuch limiting Expreſſions from Time to Time? The good Gentlemen have been in too great a Haft; if they would ſtop a little, and ſedately conſult the Platform a ſecond Time, they would find it often and often mentions barely Councils of Churches, without adding ſuch a Limitation as they ſpeak of: If they would look again into that 15th Chapter, concerning the Communion of Churches, which they quote, they will find it begins with declaring, That ALL the Churches ought to preſerve Communion one with another, becauſe they are ALL united unto Chriſt, not only as a Myſtical, but as a Political Head, whence is derived a Communion ſuitable thereunto. It then goes on to mention the ſeveral Ways in which Communion of Churches is to be exercis'd, One of which is by way of Conſultation one with another, when they have Occaſion for the Judgment and Counſel of OTHER CHURCHES, touching any Perſon or Cauſe, &c. And it adds a little after, If a particular Church in Caſe of Diviſion or Scandal, refuſe to conſult with OTHER CHURCHES, it is matter of juſt Offence, &c. In theſe Places it barely mentions other Churches, without any the leaſt Reſtriction. We might turn to many more ſuch Paſſages, but one ſhall ſufficè, which comes neareſt to the preſent Caſe: In the 9th Chapter, concerning Ordination, and Impoſition of Hands, having aſſerted the ordaining as well as electing Power with which every particular Church is veſted, by ſaying, Sect. 4. In ſuch Churches where there are no Elders, Impoſition of Hands may be perform'd by ſome of the Brethren, orderly choſen by the Church thereunto; It adds in Sect. 5, Nevertheleſs, in Churches where there are no Elders, and the Church ſo deſire, we ſee not why Impoſition of Hands may not be perform'd by the Elders of OTHER CHURCHES. It is ſaid here other Churches at large, and not neighbour Churches; ſuch as the Church whoſe Officer is to be ordain'd ſhall chuſe and deſire to perform that Service; and without ſuch a Deſire, we preſume the Elders of the very next Church can't claim any Right to act in the Affair.

It is true, mention is ſometimes made of neighbour Churches; but, by comparing one Place with another, we can't ſuppoſe that the Compilers of the Platform always meant by neighbour Churches, thoſe that were ſituated next to one another; but Churches in Communion with one another, by profeſſing the ſame Faith and Order of the Goſpel, ſo ſituated as that they could and would afford Aſſiſtance to one another, as the ſame ſhould be needed and deſir'd. To be ſure they never meant to confine a particular Church in calling a Council, to ſuch a Circle as a County or an Aſſociation; for this would be to deſtroy the Congregational Scheme, and to make the Government of our Churches not Congregational, but Claſſical; whereas the Platform declares, Chap. 2. Sect. 5. That the Government of the Church ſince the Coming of Chriſt, is not National, Provincial nor Claſſical, but Congregational only: If therefore the Platform is conſiſtent with it ſelf, it muſt leave the Communion of Churches in the ſeveral Acts and Ways of it, more at large than theſe Gentlemen would have it to be. Agreably the Synod, in 1662, In Anſwer to this Queſtion propounded to them by the General Court, viz. Whether according to the Word of God there ought to be a Conſociation of Churches, and what ſhould be the Manner of it? Having ſaid, That one Act of Communion of Churches, is to ſeek and accept Help from, and give Help to each other, in Matters of more than ordinary Importance, ſuch as Ordination of Elders, and in doubtful and difficult Queſtions and Controverſies, doctrinal or practical, that may ariſe, goes on to ſay, 'Tho' in this there ſhould be ſpecial Reference to thoſe Churches, which are planted in a convevenient Vicinity; yet there ſhould be LIBERTY WITHOUT OFFENCE TO MAKE USE OF OTHERS, as the Nature of the Caſe, and the Advantage of Opportunity, may lead thereto. And a particular Church is the ſole Judge, when their Caſe leads them to make Uſe of others. The Mind of our Fathers upon this Point is certainly beſt known by their Practice: Now it has been the Cuſtom of the Churches in the Country from the Beginning, to exerciſe this Liberty in calling of Councils, to apply to other Churches according to their own Diſcretion, without being confin'd to Churches of ſuch a Circle or Diviſion. This has been the Practice particularly in Ordinations; on which Occaſions, as well as other, Churches at a remote Diſtance, and even in other Provinces, do, to this Day, exerciſe Comunion with one another; and never was any Offence taken at it till now.

And this has been pleaded for, as the Right of Congregational Churches, by ſuch as have wrote in Defence of their Way of Government; and ſome who much better knew the Mind of the Compoſers of the Platform than theſe Gentlemen. The learned & venerable Doctor Increaſe Mather, in his Diſquiſition concerning Eccleſiaſtical Councils, p. 31, 32. enters his vehement Diſſent from a Propoſal that carries in it ſuch a Limitation as this; and ſays, "Churches whoſe Caſe calls for a Council, ought not to have their Liberties infringed."—So that upon the whole we can't but think theſe Gentlemen have miſtaken the Senſe of the Platform, and the Mind of the Compoſers of it, as well as of the Legiſlators of the Province: For as our Platform of Diſcipline has been approv'd and recommended by the General Court, we can't but ſuppoſe when they mention neighbouring Churches in any of the Laws, it is to be underſtood of thoſe who are ſuch in the Senſe of the Platform. The Legiſlative Authority has taken Care to eſtabliſh the Liberty of the Churches to them in the fulleſt & largeſt Manner, and not in the leaſt wiſe to curtail them. In the preſent Act for the Support and Settlement of Miniſters, it is declar'd in theſe Words, "The reſpective Churches in the ſeveral Towns within this Province, ſhall at all Times hereafter, uſe, exerciſe and enjoy all their Privileges and Freedoms reſpecting divine Worſhip, Church Order, and Diſcipline; and ſhall be encourag'd in the regular and peaceable Profeſſion and Practice thereof.

But if neither the Platform, nor the Province Law, has conſtituted them the Judges in this Caſe, they think they have a higher Claim that what is founded on either of theſe. PROVIDENCE, they ſay, has aſſign'd it to us, by placing the religious State of our Neighbourhood under our View, and by making us by our Situation moſt capable of underſtanding it, and of adviſing and acting upon it. But we think other Things muſt concur with their Situation, before they can found their claim in Providence. The Affair muſt be put into their Hands, by thoſe nextly concern'd, (i. e. by the Church of Springfield it ſelf) or by ſome ſuperiour lawful Authority, before they can ſay Providence has aſſign'd it to them; notwithſtanding their Situation may be very convenient.

They go on to ſay, Beſides, it is moſt reaſonable, that wherein other Churches are concern'd, it ſhould be neighbouring Churches; becauſe next to the Church it ſelf, the Intereſt of neighbour Churches is concern'd. If this is ordinarily proper and fitting, yet it is not abſolutely neceſſary, nor always reaſonable. It is very poſſible neighbouring Churches may have differing Apprehenſions in Points of Order and Government from a particular Church in the Neighbourhood; and in ſuch a Caſe ſhou'd not a particular Church be at their Liberty, to apply to ſuch Churches as moſt agree with them in Principles? It is alſo very poſſible the neareſt Churches, or the Paſtors of them, may be prejudiced, or pre-ingaged, in a Controverſy that calls for the Judgment of other Churches. And it is more than poſſible the Body of Paſtors in an Aſſociation, or Neighbourhood, may be related to one another; and it may be obſerv'd of them, that they commonly hang together, and are all affected or diſaffected, to a Perſon or Buſineſs, as ſome particular Ones among them are.

But where it is on ſome Accounts moſt fitting that neighbouring Churches ſhould be employ'd, muſt all be apply'd to that call themſelves neighbour Churches? And if any of them are not apply'd to, is there Occaſion given them to cry out of their being injur'd, or denied their Rights? The Church in Springfield did upon this Occaſion apply to neighbouring Churches, and three of them came and concur'd in the Ordination; and the ſecond Miniſter in Age in their own County preſided in it, and gave the Charge, as another of them did the Right Hand of Fellowſhip. Yet theſe Gentlemen will ſay, It was done in Neglect of the Churches of the Neighbourbood, becauſe their particular Churches were not applied to.

But they complain of ſomething more than a bare Neglect, that it was done in Oppoſition to the Body of neighbouring Miniſters. It is true their Aſſociation was divided upon Mr. Breck's Caſe. It conſiſted, (as one of theſe Gentlemen inform'd us,) of thirteen; and ſeven of them were againſt the Church's Proceeding to his Settlement. So that at beſt Things lay among them at ſixs and ſevens. But had there been a greater Union amongſt themſelves, unleſs this Body of Miniſters had the Right of Juriſdiction over the firſt Church in Springfield, their meer Oppoſition ought not to prevail to ſtop the Proceedings of the Church, or of the Council: And this their Right of Juriſdiction is ſtill to be made out, notwithſtanding all they here ſay to ſupport their Claim of it.

Was the Claim of theſe Gentlemen to be allow'd, & their Scheme of Government once ſuffer'd to take Place in the Country, the Churches would have little but the Name of their Liberties left unto them. What they aſſert, & contend for, is plainly this, That the Judgment of Eccleſiaſtical Caſes, which are bro't out of a particular Church to other Churches, belongs to neighbouring Miniſters and Churches, and to THEM ONLY: Other Miniſters and Churches that live out of the Vicinity muſt not be ſo much as join'd with them in any Caſe; this is to intermeddle in their Affairs. They by their Situation are beſt able to judge, and ſo Providence has aſſign'd it to them; to them therefore it muſt be bro't, and by them it muſt be iſſu'd; and there don't ſeem ſo much as an Appeal to be allow'd. This is evidently the Scheme by their whole Talk under this Head. And a fine Scheme it is to fetter and enſlave the Churches; and have Things carried according to the Will, Humour, Prejudice, or arbitrary Diſpoſition of a particular Set of Miniſters. Where did they get this Scheme of Government? And by what Name ſhall it be call'd? It differs as much from the Presbyterian as it does from the Congregational. The Government in the Church of Scotland compar'd with this, is a Government of Liberty: For they are very far from thus confining Things within the Circle of a Neighbourhood. If a Difficulty ariſes among them about ſettling a vacant Congregation, tho' that Presbytery firſt judges upon the Caſe; yet if either Party does not like their Judgment, they may appeal to the Synod, made up of ſix or ten Presbyterys from ſeveral Countys; and if they like not their Determination, they may from them appeal to the General Aſſembly of that Church. But as our Conſtitution has not ſuch Appeals belonging to it, it is the more unreaſonable and dangerous to confine Church Affairs to ſuch a narrow Circle.

[2.] Another Reaſon they give why thoſe Elders and Meſſengers of Churches that ſat in Judgment on this Caſe, were not orderly call'd thereto, is, That it was in a diſorderly Manner taken out of the Hands of the Aſſociation of the Miniſters of this County, after it had been referr'd to them by the firſt Church in Springfield themſelves, and by Mr. Breck. But whoever will be at the Pains to look into their Narrative, and obſerve the Account they give of the Caſe in the Riſe and Proceſs of it, will ſoon ſee they took it into their Hands before they were deſir'd, and without its being at all refer'd to them either by the Church, or Mr. Breck. We will here give a Breviate of their Account, in order to ſet this Matter in its true Light.

This brings us from May to November, about ſix Months; and all this while there is not the leaſt Intimation of a Deſire from the Church and Pariſh, that they would concern themſelves in the Affair: So that to be ſure they took it into their Hands, before it was at all referr'd to them.

But

Mr. Breck upon Application made to him returns to Springfield, and ſome Time after the Pariſh ſends to the Aſſociation which met there April 1735, That they would pleaſe to let them know, Whether there was any juſt Impediment to his being ſettled with them in the Work of the Miniſtry, and in Caſe there was, What Methods were proper for the removing of it.

The Aſſociation gave this Advice, That the Matters objected againſt Mr. Breck by Mr. Clap and others, ſhould be fully heard and determin'd by a Committee of the Aſſociation, either here or in the County of Windham, (i.e. by Windham Aſſociation.) And voted, That the Rev. Mr. Williams of Hatfield, Mr. Chauncey, Mr. Devotion, Mr. Williams of Springfield, Mr. Raynolds, and Mr. Bull, be a Committee to hear and determine the Matter if deſir'd. P. 28, 29.

This is all that was done by the People; and yet the Gentlemen will have it that the People did of their own Accord put the Matter into their Hands; and ſo they go on to argue very notably, That if they put the Caſe into their Hands of their own Accord, then they could not regularly take it out of their Hands; and if they could not regularly take it out of their Hands, they could not regularly put it into other Hands; when nothing can be plainer from their own Account, than this, That after they had of their own Accord taken the Caſe into their Hands, and had it there a long Time, the People of Springfield only ſent to them to be inform'd what the Impediment in the Way of Mr. B—'s Settlement was, and what Methods they would adviſe to for the Removal of them.

The Method which the Aſſociation advis'd to for the Removal of the Difficulties, viz. to have the Matter heard and determin'd by Windham Aſſociation, or by that Committee of their own which they had choſen, the People of Springfield thought they had ſufficient Reaſons not to comply with: And their not complying with this Advice, is repreſented as a Thing very diſorderly & irregular. Nay they carry the Matter further, and ſay, That as it was irregular not to comply with the Advice of the Aſſociation to have the Matter heard by their Committee, ſo, if the Matter had been heard by them, and they had given their Judgment upon it, it would not have been regular in them to have acted againſt it. The Argument here is ſo pleaſant that we will give it the Reader in their own Words, by tranſcribing the whole Paragraph that contains it, in P. 82. If we ſuppoſe it to be in their Power to refer it to whom they would, yet certainly it was a diſorderly Thing for them to take it out of the Hands of the Aſſociation, after they themſelves had of their own Accord put it into them, before ever they had had any Opportunity to give their Judgment in the Caſe, becauſe it was before they had Opportunity to hear Mr. Breck and the Witneſſes face to face; and that for no other Reaſon but becauſe they inſiſted on ſuch a Hearing before they gave their Judgments. If the Aſſociation had given their Judgment, and their Judgment had not ſuited them, it would not have been regular in them, after they had referr'd it to their Judgment, to have acted without any kind of Regard to it, meerly becauſe they did not judge that Way that they would have had them; becauſe this would be nothing but Confuſion; they would herein have been inconſiſtent with themſelves; there is a groſs Abſurdity in their referring the Matter to our Judgment and Advice, unleſs it was to be directed; the very Notion of asking Advice is to ask others Judgment to be directed, but it is impoſſible and ſelf-contradictory that any one ſhould ask judgment to be directed, that is already fully determined, that let the Judgment be which Way it will, he will go no other Way than this; but it was yet more diſorderly to take the Caſe out of the Hands of the Aſſociation, after they themſelves had put into their Hands, before ever they had Opportunity to make any Judgment. And if it was irregularly taken out of their Hands, it could never be regularly in any other Hands. What can be finer! It muſt be put into their Hands, they told us before, it properly belong'd to them, and none elſe; for by Reaſon of their Situation, and other Circumſtances, they were beſt able to judge in it: Being put into their Hands, it muſt not be taken out till they have given their final Judgment; & when they have given it, it muſt not be diſregarded or receded from: No! This would be irregular, and bring Confuſion; and tis abſurd to ask Advice, unleſs it be to be directed; for the very Notion of asking Advice, is to ask others Judgment to be directed. But, Dear Sirs! to be directed, how? Any otherwiſe than to be aſſiſted in making a Judgment for themſelves? We think there is a groſs Abſurdity in calling of it Advice, & yet making it to be binding and obligatory; and that the very Notion of asking Advice, ſuppoſes a Capacity and Right in them that ask it to judge at laſt for themſelves. If it muſt be follow'd, however unſuitable in the Judgment of thoſe to whom it is given, pray don't call it Advice, but by its proper Name, Law, or Command. But if to ask Advice of an Aſſociation, does thus take away the Right of private Judgment, they that value their own Liberty, or (to uſe your own Words, when you aſſert your own Right to judge for your ſelves, p. 68.) think themſelves Partakers with the Reſt of their Species of the Nature of rational Creatures, will be very cautious how they ask any Advice of them.

But let us now ſee whether the Church in Springfield, and Mr. Breck, had not ſufficient Reaſon for not complying with the Advice of the Aſſociation, to have the Matter heard and determined by the Committee aforeſaid. There were ſix Reverend Gentlemen put upon this Committee; Mr. Breck objected againſt one of them, namely. Mr. Williams of Long-Meadow, as a Perſon prejudic'd; and pray'd the Fayour of his being taken off, and then he ſhould be free to leave the Matter to the Judgment of the other five: And, that his Requeſt might be the more readily complied with, added, that the Committee at preſent conſiſted of an even Number, which was not look'd upon convenient in ſuch Caſes; and as the Committee was large, one might well enough be ſpar'd. But Mr. Williams, it ſeems, was not willing to exclude himſelf, and ſo the Aſſociation were not willing to exclude him; and it was ſaid, It was not fit Mr. Breck ſhould dictate to the Aſſociation: tho' to remedy the Inconvenience of an even Number, another Gentleman was added, but one tho't to be very far from being favourably diſpos'd to Mr. Breck; and ſo the Committee conſiſted of ſeven, which was the major Part of the whole Aſſociation; — and they had as good have reſolv'd themſelves into a Committee of the whole Houſe. This was certainly an unreaſonable Piece of Stiffneſs in the Aſſociation; and it does not excuſe the Matter for them to ſay, Mr. Breck objected againſt Mr. Williams as a prejudiced Perſon, but without offering any Reaſon. That was Reaſon eno'; it was ſufficient to ſay he look'd upon him prejudic'd. Upon this Mr. Williams ought immediately to have excus'd himſelf, and all other Judicatures would have taken him off. This gave Mr. Breck little Reaſon to expect much Favour from theſe Gentlemen in their after Managements: Therefore he made another Requeſt to the Moderator of the Aſſociation, the Rev. Mr. Williams of Hatfield, that he might have Liberty to join two or three Gentlemen from abroad with them: and tho' He might conſent to it, as they ſay he did, p. 29. yet others did not; and their mentioning of it in ſuch a way as looks as if it was conceeded to, becauſe he conſented to it, when others did not conſent, is a Kind of Fallacy, and tends to impoſe upon the World: For when the ſame Propoſal was afterwards made by others, in Mr. Breck's Name, and at his Deſire, we know ſeveral of theſe Gentlemen manifeſted their Diſlike of it, and would not give their Conſent. And now is it to be wonder'd at if Mr. Breck was not willing to leave his Caſe in which his Character, Uſefulneſs, and almoſt every Thing dear to him in this World was concern'd, in the Hands of thoſe, who (tho' very good & worthy Men) had now evidently receiv'd Impreſſions to his Diſadvantage? Or is it to be wonder'd at that the Church, inſtead of leaving it to this Committee of the Aſſociation, or to the Windham Aſſociation, ſhould chooſe the Method more agreable to our Conſtitution, to have the Affair heard & judg'd of by a Council of Churches? Upon the whole, we think theſe Gentlemen inſtead of complaining that the Affair was irregularly taken out of their Hands, ſhould blame themſelves that by their unreaſonable Stiffneſs put it out of their Hands. — Their third Reaſon in Order ſtands thus,

[3.] As to thoſe three Elders that belong to this County, that ſat in Council as Judges of this Caſe, they each of them had once before openly in Aſſociation, given their Judgments, and upon a formal Conſideration, and where the Matter was particularly diſcuſſed and debated; — therefore tis againſt common Senſe that they ſhould ſit in Judgment on the ſame Caſe again. The Gentlemen ſeem to have ſhort Memories: For but the Page before this, they complain very ſadly that the Matter was taken out of the Hands of the Aſſociation, before 〈◊〉 they had had Opportunity to give their Judgment in the Caſe, becauſe it was before they had Opportunity to hear Mr. Breck and the Witneſſes Face to Face; and the ſame Complaint is often renew'd in different Patts of their Book; yet here they tells us the Matter was particularly diſcuſſed and debated in the Aſſociation, and that upon a formal Conſideration of the Caſe, theſe Gentlemen had openly given their Judgment. All the Remark we will make upon this, ſhall be in their own Words, p. 71. "A remarkable Inſtance of the ſtrange Inſenſibility, and ridiculous Inconſiſtence that thoſe are ſometimes ſubject to, that are under the Power of ſtrong Prejudice!" But leſt any ſhould think by this formal Conſideration of the Caſe in the Aſſociation, they were all diſqualified to be upon the Council, they take Care to tells us they had ſuſpended their Judgment, and ſo it would have been no Objection againſt themſelves, if they had been applied to.

The Miniſters of their own County being thus diſqualified, they go on to tell of ſome Thing that as much diſqualified thoſe that came from Boſton; They had join'd in giving him a Certificate of his Orthodoxy. That they were miſtaken in this, becauſe but one of them did ſo, we have had Occaſion to ſay already. But if all of them had, How the ſigning a Teſtimonial, that a Man anſwer'd orthodoxly to ſuch Queſtions as were put to him in an Examination, diſqualifies thoſe Perſons from giving their Judgment about Expreſſions deliver'd at another Time, upon a formal Hearing where the Witneſſes and Party are Face to Face, we muſt confeſs our ſelves at a Loſs to underſtand, and believe others will be ſo too. Their next Objection is

[4.] They were of all them choſen by thoſe that were a Party in the Caſe. As to thoſe Elders that belong'd to this County, they were choſen by that Part of the Church that had made themſelves a Party with Mr. Breck. This is the firſt Time that ever we heard a Church, acting as a Body, with ſo great Unanimity as the firſt Church in Springfield did in this Affair, call'd a Party. It appears by their Narrative, P. 34. that but four of the Brethren diſſented from the Proceedings of the Church when they met to chuſe the Ordination Council. If they had call'd theſe four, with whom they have taken Part, a Party, there would have been much more Propriety in it, than to call the Body of the Church by that Name. To ſpeak of a Society, acting according to the Rules of Society, with ſo great Unanimity, as a Party, ſeems very odd, and to diſcover too much of a Party-Spirit.

But to whom did it belong to chuſe what Churches ſhould be applied to, but the Church it ſelf? If we conſult the Platform upon this, we ſhall find it puts the calling of a Council when there is need of one upon any Occaſion, into the Hands of the Church, and not of a Party diſſatisfied with the Proceedings of a Church. And the Law of the Province does the fame: For if there happens a Difference at any Time between the Church & the Inhabitants about the Call & Settlement of a Miniſter, ſo as that the Inhabitants do not concur with the Choice of the Church, the Law ſays the Church may call a Council of Churches to hear the Reaſons of their Diſſatisfaction, and if the Council judge them not to be ſufficient, the Miniſter the Church has choſen ſhall be accounted the Miniſter of the Pariſh. Indeed the Caſe of Springfield happily differs in this, That the Inhabitants concur with the Church in the Choice of Mr. Breck, by a very great Majority; and therefore we only mention the Law of the Province in this Caſe, to ſhew that the Right & Power to call a Council, when there are a Number diſſenting from the Choice of a Miniſter, is lodg'd with 〈…〉 and not with a diſſatisfied Party, tho' 〈…〉 very large. But, ſay theſe Gentlemen, 〈…〉 of a congregational Church, in ſuch a Caſe to chuſe all the Judges, then the Rights of congregational Churches are built on the Ruins of the common Rights of Mankind; and if ſo they ſtand upon but a very poor Foundation. But we think this is to argue very weakly and falſly; for it is agreable to the common Rights of Mankind as united in Societies, that the Majority ſhould rule. And as theſe diſſatisfied Brethren had an equal Vote with every other Member of the Society, both in the Choice of a Miniſter, and in the Choice of the Ordination Council, there is no Foundation for the Complaint of their being denied the common Rights of Mankind. They had indeed a Right to have their Objections and Complaints fairly beard by the Council which the Church had call'd; and therefore the Church ſeaſonably paſs'd a Vote, and ſent it to them, wherein was ſignified that they might have Opportunity to offer their Objections againſt Mr. Breck's Settlement, the Day before that which was appointed for Ordination, to the Council they expected would then convene: And to do this they had all the Opportunity and Liberty that could be, given them by the Council. And it was further offer'd to them in an Interview which the Brethren of the Church had with their diſſatisfied Brethren, about a Fortnight or three Weeks before the Council met the ſecond Time, that they might have the Liberty to join a Number of other Churches to them; but they would not accept the Offer, without a Council intirely new was called, and the Churches which the Church had applied to were ſet aſide. But if this be the Right of one or two diſſenting Brethren in a Church, we think it is built on the Ruins of the common Rights of Societies.

[5.] Their fifth Reaſon is, Becauſe the major Part of the Council was choſen by Mr. Breck himſelf, and 'tis contrary to the Light and Senſe of all Mankind, that a Man ſhould chuſe his own Judges, becauſe this is in Effect to give him Liberty to chuſe his own Judgment. It is true that the Church gave Mr. Breck Liberty to nominate ſome of the Churches they ſhould apply to; but not the major Part; and this is no more than is given to all Candidates. Dr. Cotton Mather in his Ratio Diſcipline, &c. where he gives an Account of the Method of Ordinations in theſe Churches, mentions it, P. 22. as the univerſal Cuſtom for the Church to agree with the Candidate what Churches to apply to upon the Occaſion. But tho' the Church, with Mr. Breck, did chuſe the Churches that ſhould be addreſs'd to meet in Council upon this Occaſion, yet to chuſe the Churches can't be ſaid to chuſe the Judges, ſo as in Effect to chuſe the Judgment; ſince the Churches chuſe their own Delegates, and in Councils the Delegates that are not Paſtors, are always equal to, and commonly more in Number than the Paſtors, and are as much the Judges, and vote with them when the Council give their Judgment upon the Caſe on which they are conven'd.—But theſe Gentlemen ſeem to have reſerv'd their greateſt Strength till the laſt Effort; for in no Part of the Argument do they exerciſe their Talent more notably, than when they come to ſay,

6. The major Part of the Council were not regularly called, even according to their own Principles; and that becauſe the Churches they belonged to were never applied to by Springfield Church; — therefore whatſover is acted by them as thus inter-meddling, without being ſo called, muſt be null and void: ſo that the Act of the Churches of Boſton and Sudbury in chooſing Delegates to aſſiſt in ordaining an Officer in Springfield Church, was null and void, becauſe they had never been applied to by Springfield Church. If this was ſo, they might well ſay we intermeddled with an Affair that did not belong to us, and pronounce all our Acts to be null and void; for we acknowledge our very Being as a Council, and conſequently the Validity of all our Proceedings, depends upon the Call of the firſt Church in Springfield If Aſſociations may take Matters into their Hands before they are put there, we don't think Councils ſhould. Therefore to let the World ſee we did not run before we were called, we ſhall here give a Copy of one of the Letters miſſive;

Letters of the ſame Import were ſent to all the other Churches. But they ſay the Committee that ſign'd the Letters to the Churches, not only ſign'd that in the Church's Name that never had been any Act or Vote of the Church, but the Church never gave that Committee power to act for them in chuſing Churches to aſſiſt: And the Church did not only not give this Committee Power to chuſe Churches to aſſiſt, but they never ſo much as appointed them to ſend for thoſe that Mr. Breck ſhould chuſe; but made Mr. Breck their Committee, tho' not yet a Member of the Church, and appointed a certain Perſon to go and wait on thoſe Elders that he ſhould chuſe. What they mean by ſaying the Church made Mr. Breck their Committee, tho' not one of the Church, is not eaſy to conceive; for he is not nam'd as one of the Committee that ſign'd the Letters, nor was he appointed to carry them. The Votes of the Church reſpecting the Affair of the Ordination they give us a Copy of in their Narrative, P. 33. and they run thus,

The Church had not at this Time a Paſtor at their Head, but were left to manage for themſelves as well as they could, and ſo their Votes are not drawn up in ſo methodical and expreſſive a Manner, as they might have been; nevertheleſs the true Intent and Meaning of them is very plain to any one that has a Mind to underſtand them, and no Deſign to pervert them. The Church regularly met to vote upon Affairs reſpecting the Ordination; they choſe four of the Elders, that with their Churches, they deſir'd might aſſiſt; thinking the Churches were ſufficiently diſtinguiſhed by naming their Elders; than which nothing is more common: And as for ſending to Elders without their Churches, it never entred into their Hearts. The naming the other four was left with Mr. Breck. And they choſe a Committee to manage the Affairs reſpecting the Ordination; and one neceſſary Affair for which they were choſen, was to ſign Letters to the ſeveral Churches of which theſe Elders were the Paſtors. And becauſe ſome of theſe Elders liv'd at Boſton, they choſe another of their Number to be their Meſſenger to carry the Letters to them This is the plain State of the Caſe, and this was the true Intent and Meaning of the Church, as they afterwards declar'd in a Body. For when the Council met at Springfield, it was ſoon ſuggeſted to them, that truly they were never applied to by Springfield Church: Therefore at a Meeting of the Church by Adjournment the next Day, we thought it proper to inquire of them, Whether the Letters we had receiv'd came from that Church, and the Committee that ſign'd them in their Name were appointed and authoriz'd by them ſo to do? And they univerſally anſwer'd in the Affirmative. This the Gentlemen have repreſented in P. 89, as our being accepted as a Council after our coming up to Springfield by a Vote of the Church, to ſupply the Defect of their not ſending to us. And in the 88th Page, having ſaid, That the Act of the Churches of Boſton and Sudbury in chuſing of Delegates to aſſiſt in or daining an Officer in Springfield Church, was null and void, becauſe they had never been applied to by Springfield Church, they go on to argue, and if that Act was null and void when done, the Vote of Springfield Church that was paſſed afterwards, could not make it valid; when in Truth no Vote of this Nature was paſs'd, or ask'd for, or ſo much as thought of: There was only a plain Queſtion ask'd the Church, to which they returned an Anſwer. It is therefore a very falſe Repreſentation which they make of this Matter, and they have herein impos'd upon the World, & abus'd both the Church and the Council; but it is not the firſt nor the laſt Time of their doing ſo.

They go on in their Argument againſt the Regularity of the Council, and ſeem to think it encreaſes in Strength as it does in Length: To cut us all up by the Roots at once, they ſay, Indeed not only that Part of the Council that came from Boſton and Sudbury were not regularly call'd according to congregational Principles, but neither that Part that belong'd to this County, for the Church never voted to deſire the Aſſiſtance of any Church at all, or any of their Lay-Delegates, and voted for none but certain Presbyters by Name; the Church did nothing that by congregational Principles they had any Buſineſs to do, which was to deſire the Aſſiſtance of other Churches, and did not only that which they had no Buſineſs to do, (viz.) chuſe particular Perſons out of other Churches to aſſiſt, which by congregational Principles belonged not to them, but to thoſe other Churches they belonged to. So that by congregational Principles all they did was null, and THERE WAS NOT ONE SOUL OF THAT COUNCIL HAD ANT BUSINESS THERE according to the Platform, but their being there was in Oppoſition to it. The whole Weight of this ſwelling Argument reſts upon this, that only Elders are mention'd in the Church's Votes; tho' there is not any Queſtion to be made, but they intended the Churches of which they were the Elders, and in their Letters thoſe Churches were addreſs'd to ſend their Elders and other Delegates. The Gentlemen are very welcome to any Advantage they can make from ſo mean a Cavil, which none but the loweſt Sort of Diſputants would make Uſe of—But ſuppoſing Springfield Church had only deſir'd the Aſſiſtance of certain Elders by Name, and thoſe Elders had, with the Conſent of their Churches, come to them, and carried on the Ordination, being ſatisfied as to the Man's Qualifications for the Miniſtry, to ſay that this is contrary to congregational Principles, and according to thoſe Principles is null and void, diſcovers they have no thorough Acquaintance with thoſe Principles they pretend to judge upon. The Platform in the Chapter of Ordination, Sect. 5, ſays, The Impoſition of Hands may be performed by the Elders of other Churches, if the Church whoſe Officer is to be ordained ſo deſire. And the Synod of 1662, ſpeaking of the Communion of Churches, ſays it is exercis'd by making Uſe occaſionally of Elders, or able Brethren of other Churches, or by the more ſolemn Meetings of both Elders and Meſſengers in leſſer or greater Councils, as the Matter ſhall require. But it may be the Gentleman who thus lays about him to invalidate the Springfield Ordination, had beſt not ſtrike too furiouſly, leſt the Blows ſhould reverberate upon himſelf; For, if we have been rightly inform'd, only certain Elders by Name were invited to carry on his own Ordination, and theſe never ſo much as choſen by the Church he was ordain'd to; tho' we don't ſuſpect he has any Deſign to invalidate his own Ordination, and we have ſuch a Reſpect both for the Perſon and Miniſtry of this Brother, that we would not go about to invalidate it neither, tho' it were only upon congregational Principles.

There is another Argument theſe Gentlemen make much Uſe of, tho' it does not ſtand diſtinctly by it ſelf, but ſeems rather to run thro' their whole Performance, and to be interwoven with almoſt every ſingle Argument, viz. That the Method taken by Springfield Church, and their Council, makes void all Endeavours any Miniſters can uſe to hinder the ſettling of heterodox Miniſters, and to prevent the Growth of Error in the Country. — That we have opened a Door for the letting in of Error, &c. and this at a Time when they apprehend the State of the Land requires that the Care that is taken in ſuch Caſes be not ſlighty, but thorough and effectual. We have, perhaps, as good Opportunity to know the State of the Land, (i. e. of the Churches in the Land,) as themſelves; & we are as apprehenſive as they are, that it requires that the Care that is taken in the Settlement of Miniſters reſpecting their Orthodoxy, ſhould be not ſlighty, but as thorough & effectual as may be. But from the Knowledge that we have of the State of the Land, we are fully perſwaded the Care of Councils reſpecting this Matter, is likely to be as thorough and effectual as that of Aſſociations. In this Way Purity of Doctrine has been preſerv'd in theſe Churches, for more than a hundred Years: And if future Councils will take as much Care in this Reſpect, as the Springfield Council has done, we hope there will yet be Truth in our Day; tho' whether our Care has been ſlighty or thorough, the Reader will not be able to judge, till we come to ſhew the Grounds upon which we proceeded, which will be done in its proper Place. But our propoſed Method leads us in the next Place,

III. To reply to thoſe Things with which they charge the Council in general, or ſome particular Members of it, to bring an Odium upon them.

In general they charge us with Prejudice and Violence, and ſay this was many Ways evident by our Conduct.

In one Place 'tis ſuggeſted as if we had given Mr. Breck our Promiſe to come and ordain him; and for this they bring in the Rev. Mr. Allis as a Voucher. They ſay, P. 33, 34. The Rev. Mr. Allis, coming directly from Mr. Breck, told ſome of us, that Mr. Breck intended it ſhould not be known, what Churches out of the County ſhould be ſent to, till the Letters to call them were actually gone. And Mr. Allis added, There was no Doubt but Mr. B— would be ordain'd, for he had got ſome Gentlemen's Promiſe, that they would come and ordain him. This Mr. Allis is a Gentleman of their own Aſſociation, and has given us Authority to contradict them in what they here ſay he told them. In a Letter to one of us, dated April 5, 1736, he ſays, Theſe are to inform you that what is produc'd in the Narrative, as an Argument to prove that you Boſton Miniſters were prejudiced in the Affair of Mr. B—'s Ord nation, and were not fit to fit as Judges in the Caſe, becauſe as they ſay, I told them that Mr. B— intended it ſhould not be known what Churches out of the County ſhould be ſent to, till the Letters to call them were actually gone; and that there was no doubt but he would be ordain'd, for he had got ſome Gentlemen's Promiſe that they would come and ordain him, is not ſo; for upon the ſtricteſt Recollection in the World, I can't remember any ſuch Expreſſion, and have told the Gentlemen ſince they muſt needs be miſtaken, and then repeated to them what I did ſay, which was vaſtly different from what they repreſent. To be ſure the Suggeſtion, let it come from whom it will, is groundleſs and falſe. We now ſolemnly declare Mr. B— had never any ſuch Promiſe from us; but on the contrary, we, (ſome of us at leaſt) took Occaſion once and again to ſay to Mr. B— himſelf, and thoſe that bro't the Letters to us, that if we ſhould go up, they muſt not think we came reſolv'd to carry on an Ordination, but to hear and judge of what might be objected, and if there was not full Satisfaction given as to Principles, we ſhould never lay our Hands on him. That we ſpake to this Purpoſe to them, they themſelves openly declar'd, upon an Appeal which we made to them, before the diſſatisfied Brethren.

In the 90th Page ſome of us are charg'd with laying out our ſelves to be the Perſons that muſt be the Judges in the Caſe, long before the Church bad any Meeting to chuſe any Body; which, they ſay, is particularly evident with reſpect to the Moderator, by a Letter be ſent up hither directed to the Rev. Mr. Williams of Hatfield, to get us willing that he ſhould come upon that Buſineſs, pretending to be unwilling to come without our Conſent; but when he fail'd of obtaining that, be appear'd fully reſolv'd to come nevertheleſs. This, like moſt of their other Matters, comes over twice; for they had told it before in their Narrative, P. 37. But they have hereby doubly abus'd Mr. Cooper, and baſely miſrepreſented his Letter; the Deſign of which was not to ask the Conſent of any of them, to his coming up upon a Council, if the Church of Springfield ſhould apply to the Church of which he was a Paſtor, and his Church ſhould vote to ſend; No; Mr. Cooper never thought their Conſent at all needful to that; But it was at Mr. Breck's Deſire, and in his Name, to make the Motion which he himſelf had made before, but did not think complied with, tho' they once & again ſpeak as if it was, viz. that when the Objections againſt him from Connecticut were further heard in the Aſſociation, he might be allow'd to have two or three Miniſters from abroad preſent, to hear thoſe Matters, and to uſe their good Offices as far as might be proper for them, to get the Difficulties remov'd, for the greater Satisfaction, both of the People of Springfield, and of Mr. Breck. Their Conſent to this Propoſal was needful; and this is all that the Letter refers to. And if this Motion had been conſented to at this Time, on the Part of thoſe Gentlemen, it may be the greateſt Difficulties had been remov'd, and the Things that follow'd prevented. Mr. Breck alſo deſir'd Mr. Cooper to write upon another Account, viz. to repreſent to thoſe Gentlemen the Affair of his Examination at Boſton, according to the Light in which it ſtood with him; which Mr. Cooper did the more readily, becauſe but a little before he had had conſiderable Diſcourſe with Mr. Williams of Long-Meadow upon that Affair, and ſpake ſomething of writing to Mr. Williams of Hatfield about it.

The Letter now follows for the Reader to judge of.

We can't but think the bare reading this Letter, muſt convince the unprejudiced, that theſe Gentlemen in repreſenting this Matter, have, on Purpoſe, ſet it in a wrong Light, and therein treated Mr. Cooper in a very diſingenuous and injurious Manner.

To this Letter the Rev. Mr. Williams return'd an Anſwer, wherein, as they ſay, P. 37. he plainly manifeſted his Diſapprobation. But how to reconcile this with their ſaying in P. 29. that the Propoſal of joining ſome Miniſters from abroad was conceeded to by him, is ſomething of a Difficulty, unleſs we ſuppoſe the good and venerable Gentleman miſtook the Propoſal in the Letter, as by his Anſwer he really ſeems to do: Tho', perhaps, the Miſtake might be more owing to his Amanuenſis; for the Body of the Letter is wrote by another Hand, and only ſign'd with his own; and ſuperſcrib'd by Mr Williams of Long-Meadow, if we have not miſtaken the Hand, which we think we have not. The Anſwer runs in the following Terms;

The Gentlemen carry on their Charge of Prejudice reſpecting thoſe of the Council particularly that came from Boſton, and ſay, P. 90, 91. It evidently appear'd in their acting when they came, contrary to what they gave Reaſon to expect; who aſſur'd the Rev. Doctor Colman, as he inform'd us in a Letter directed to the Rev. Mr. Williams of Hatfield, that when they came they would before they proceeded viſit us, and not act without us, much leſs againſt us; but yet when they came never conſulted with us, but acted intirely without us, yea, contrary to our Proteſtation —. Indeed they propoſed that the Aſſociation ſhould be call'd together at Springfield when they came up, to give them their Reaſons, &c. But this in our Judgment would have made an odd Appearance, for our Aſſociation to be call'd together from all Parts of the County, to appear before them, to give an Account of our ſelves to them, ſubmitting our Conduct, as well as Mr. Breck's Caſe. to their Judgment. This Paragraph contains a complicated Charge, in which there is a Complication of vile Miſrepreſentations: We call them ſo, becauſe they can be no other than willful ones.

The firſt Part of the Charge is, That when we came to Springfield we never conſulted them, but acted intirely without them. This Charge, according to Cuſtom, is made two or three Times over. We had it before, P. 79, where they ſay, We have the more Reaſon to complain that in an Affair wherein our Intereſt is ſo much concerned, and their's ſo little, they would reſolutely proceed, without giving any Heed to our earneſt Remonſtrances, and ſtand aloof from us when they came into the County, and never ſo much as friendly inquire of us, or give us any fair Opportunity to ſpeak for our ſelves. When the Truth of the Caſe is, they ſtood aloof from us, and would not give us that Opportunity to confer and conſult with them, which we earneſtly deſir'd and requeſted them to favour us with, in a Joint-Letter which we wrote to Mr. Williams of Hatfield. This Rev. Gentleman, after the Letters from Springfield Church had been read in our Churches, and they had voted to ſend, and appointed their Meſſengers, writes a Letter to Doctor Colman, the Contents of which he deſir'd might be communicated to the other Paſtors of the Churches ſent to; in which he has ſuch a Paſſage as this; "I can't but take it ſomething hardly that upon Mr. Breck's bare Word, they ſhould think ſo meanly of us, as to count it neceſſary to ſend their Miniſters and Delegates to interpoſe in that Affair". And afterwards asks, "Are not our Churches got too deep into Contentions already?" This occaſion'd our Writing to him the following (as we thought, reſpectful) Letter.

This Letter, before it was ſent up, was ſhewn to ſome Miniſters, who have never been ſuſpected to be in the leaſt prejudic'd in Favour of Mr. Breck or of us, who expreſs'd themſelves well pleas'd with our writing in ſo reſpectful Manner, and eſpecially with our deſiring ſuch an Interview with thoſe Miniſters; it was therefore the more ſurpriſing to us to receive ſuch an Anſwer from the good Gentleman himſelf as we did, wherein he ſpeaks of himſelf as ill-treated, and refuſes to call the Aſſociation together, unleſs it might be left to the Aſſociation, with our ſelves, to judge what might be objected againſt the Proceedings of Springfield Church. But this was not in our Power to do. We could not put the Proceedings of Springfield Church into the Hands of the Aſſociation to judge of & determine. None could do this but the Church of Springfield themſelves, and they had before refus'd to do it. Beſides our Churches had now ſent us forth with other Delegates, in the Way of a Council of Churches; and how could we ſet aſide our Meſſengers, and join our ſelves with the Aſſociation, in judging the Caſe? All therefore that we propos'd, or could propoſe, was a brotherly Interview & Conference, between the Miniſters of that Aſſociation, and the Miniſters of the Council, to try if ſome of the Difficulties could not be remov'd before the Council met, and way could not be made to have ſome other of the neighbouring Churches yet ſent to. If we had found Mr. Breck or the Church unreaſonably refuſing what was proper for them to do on their Part, we had ſome Reaſon to hope that by our Intereſt in them we might have prevail'd upon them to a ſuitable Compliance. With ſuch Views and Hopes, and with Hearts full of Reſpect to our Fathers and Brethren in the Miniſtry there, (God is our Witneſs!) we went up to Springfield, a Week ſooner than we ſhould elſe have done; but found the Aſſociation would not condeſcend to give us the Meeting we ſo much deſir'd, tho' they had not their Meeting at Deerfield neither. But inſtead of meeting us, a Number of them met for ſeveral Days ſucceſſively with the Diſſatisfied, and with the Juſtices that were fetch'd down from Northampton, and there is no Room to doubt were in the Scheme to ſtop the Councils proceeding in the Affair, by that extraordinary Interpoſition which every Body has heard of. And now, let any one judge, with what Reaſon and Juſtice they complain of us, that we ſtood aloof from them, and would not conſult with them. Could they imagine we ſhould go from one Part of the County to another, to meet with them ſingly, when they live ſo remote from one another. Some of us, particularly Mr. Cooper and Mr. Welſteed, did go to viſit Mr. Williams at Long-Meadow, where they found Mr. Raynolds with him, and had conſiderable Diſcourſe upon the Affair. And we ſhould with Pleaſure have paid our Duty at Hatfield, if we had had more Reaſon to think the Viſit would have been well receiv'd: but as the venerable Gentleman there, ſeem'd to think himſelf ill treated in a Letter, drawn up in as reſpectful Terms as we could do it, we deſpair'd of his thinking himſelf well treated by us in a Viſit: So that Reverence, and not Want of Reſpect, kept us from thence. But whether it was expected we ſhould have proceeded, and humbly viſited as far as Deerfield, we can't ſay.

We can alſo leave it to every Reader, of but common Underſtanding, and the loweſt Degree of Impartiality, to ſay, Whether in the latter Part of this Charge, they don't treat us again in a moſt unjuſt and injurious Manner, when, for our thus requeſting them ſo far to favour us, as to have their Aſſociation Meeting at Springfield inſtead of Deerfield, that ſo we might have an Opportunity for an Interview and Conference with them, they repreſent us as writing in an aſſuming Way, to have their Aſſociation call'd together, to appear before us, to give an Account of themſelves to us, and to ſubmit their own Conduct, as well as Mr. Breck's Caſe, to our Judgment Is there any Thing in our Letter that gives them Occaſion to ſay this? Can this be any other than a wilful Miſrepreſentation of us, and our Propoſal? And how ſhould ſuch Men be credited in their Repreſentation of other Matters?

They ſay farther concerning the Council, That their Prejudice evidently appear'd in the driving and violence of their Proceedings, particularly when we earneſtly deſir'd them if they would come, at leaſt to defer coming for ſome Time, and not to proceed ſo ſuddenly and haſtily; that there might be further Opportunity for Conſideration, or for things to get into a better Poſture, but we were not regarded, they went violently on againſt all that could be ſaid to them. How faſt and violently we drove ſhall now be told. The Church at Springfield ſent forth their Letters to the Churches, the Beginning of Auguſt. A Blank was left in the Letters to ſet the Time for the Council to meet, that might beſt ſuit thoſe that liv'd at the greateſt Diſtance. The People, as we underſtood by thoſe that bro't the Letters, were deſirous it might be early in September. But the Miniſters at Boſton prevail'd to have October fix'd for the Time; ſo that there were two Months between ſending out the Letters, and the Meeting of the Council: And one principal Reaſon why they deſir'd the Time ſhould be put off, was, that the Affair might not be bro't on too quick, and that there might be Opportunity for Conſideration, and Things to get into a better Poſture. Not only this, but we went to Springfield a Week before the Time for the Seſſion of the Council; and let the Gentlemen there know that we ſhould do ſo, that ſo we might have Opportunity to confer and conſult with them. The Council (i. e ſeven of the eight Churches ſent to) conven'd on the ſeventh of October, in the Morning, and being form'd into a Council, let the Church, and the diſſatisfied Brethren, know we were ready to hear what they had to offer to us. The diſſatisfied Brethren let us know they were not yet prepar'd to bring in their Objections, and deſir'd further Time. The Council therefore adjourn'd to 3 o'Clock in the Afternoon; at which Time they came & preſented a Paper of Charges & Allegations againſt Mr. Breck, but declar'd they would not bring their Proofs, becauſe they would not ſubmit their Affairs to us as a Council. The next Day in the Morning the Council ſent to them the following Vote, That this Council expect the diſſatisfied Brethren, not only to produce their Objections againſt the Ord nation of Mr. Breck, but alſo the Proofs and Evidences to ſupport them: And if the diſſatisfied Brethren refuſe to do ſo, we ſhall think it our Duty to inquire into the Principles of Mr. Breck, and it we find him Orthodox, ſhall proceed to comply with the Deſire of the Church in this Place. The Return was, that they ſhould not ſubmit their Affairs to us However, as the Council were appriz'd that the Rev. Meſſi. Kirtland and Clap, two Connecticut Miniſters, who were then at Springfield were the principal Perſons from whom the Objections againſt Mr. Breck came, they paſs'd a Vote, and ſent it to thoſe Gentlemen, manifeſting it to be the earneſt Deſire of the Council, that if they knew any thing reſpecting the Doctrine, or Morals. or both, of Mr. Breck, which may diſqualifie him for the Goſpel Miniſtry, they would pleaſe to declare it freely to us. Theſe Gentlemen, after ſome Debate, both by Word and Writing, conſented to give us an Account of what they knew. [We were now bro't to the Day, that had been nam'd by the Church for the Ordination; but the Council told them there could then be no ſuch Thing as an Ordination; Time muſt be allow'd to hear and judge in the Caſe; and whether we ſhould ordain at all we could not yet tell; and therefore forbad their making the uſual Preparations for Entertainment.] When the Rev. Gentlemen aforeſaid were admitted into the Council, and the Council prepar'd to hear, Mr. Clap produc'd and read ſundry large Papers referring to the Principles of Mr. Breck, which Papers are publiſh'd in the Narrative. When Mr. Clap firſt began, Mr. Breck deſir'd to know whether he might make Anſwer to Things as Mr. Clap went along, or ſtay till he had done. The Council told him they would hear Mr. Clap out, and then he ſhould have Opportunity to make Anſwer. While Mr. Clap was reading his Papers, there came a Meſſenger on Horſe-back to ſpeak with him, who, having finiſh'd his private Meſſage to Mr. Clap, rode away with convenient Speed, it is not unlikely to inform thoſe that ſent him, how to Time the next Meſſenger and Meſſage. For juſt as Mr. Clap was finiſhing, & Mr. Breck was to have made Anſwer, there came an Officer with a Warrant from three Northampton Juſtices who were fetch'd down to Springfield a Day or two before, to apprehend Robert Breck, Gentleman, and bring him before them, to anſwer to ſuch Things as ſhould be objected him. And Mr. Breck, being apprehended, was carried into the public Town-Houſe, and Proclamation being made for any in the Aſſembly to teſtifie what they knew about the Principles &c. of Mr. Breck, the Rev. Meſſi Clap, Kirtland, and others, appear'd as Evidences to teſtfie to thoſe Things which they were before exhibiting to the Eccleſiaſtical Council. Tho' the Council look'd upon this unprecedented Proceeding of the Juſtices, to be a direct Breach upon thoſe Liberties of the Churches which the Law has confirmed to them, and they had been in the unmoleſted Poſſeſſion and Uſe of to that very Day, yet they made no Oppoſition to them, but on the contrary endeavour'd to calm the Spirits of the People, that were now put into Ferment eno'; and by their Influence kept them from any raſh Action; and contented themſelves with ſending to them the following Vote by two of the Members of the Council, ſoil. Voted by the Eccleſiaſtical Council in this Place, That they conſider it as their Duty, not only to the firſt Church in Springfield, but alſo to the Churches whom we repreſent, and all the Churches of Chriſt thro' this Province, to acquaint your Honours, that when you ſent your Officer to apprehend Mr. Robert Breck, and bring him before you, we were regularly and legally conven'd in Council, at the Deſire of the firſt Church in Springfield, for the regular carrying on the Ordination of ſaid Mr. Breck, according to the Order of the Goſpel in the Churches of New-England, and were actually hearing the Charges againſt the ſaid Mr. Breck, which your Honours have ſeen meet to take Cognizance of, and wreſt out of our Hands.

The Juſtices kept Mr. Breck from the Council till it was Night, and order'd the Officer to take Care of him till they ſhould ſend for him again the next Day; but upon ſome of the Councils giving their Word he ſhould be forth coming when call'd for, he was admitted to go to his Lodging that Night. The Council were together early in the Morning, and endeavour'd to go on with the Hearing; but it was not long before Mr. Breck was again ſent for by the Juſtices. But Mr. Clap declar'd to the Council, he had the Day before delivered to them almoſt all that he had to offer in the Caſe; and Mr. Kirtland ſaid what he had to offer was much to the ſame Purpoſe, & tended to confirm what Mr. Clap had offer'd; and that it was given to the Juſtices in Writing the Day before, from whom might be had a Copy of it. The Juſtices kept Mr. Breck till it was late in the Afternoon, when they ſign'd a Warrant to carry him to Connecticut, there to anſwer for thoſe Things; and thither he was forthwith carried; a Number of the Church being choſen to attend him in Token of Reſpect, and the People giving evident Marks of their Affection to him as he went thro' the Town. — The Council while he was gone, did all they could that the Temper & Behaviour of the People might be ſuitable to their Circumſtances; &, it muſt be ſaid of them, they generally carried it becoming their chriſtian Character. As an Inſtance of it, A Number of the Church came, the next Morning, to the Miniſters of the Council, with a Deſire that ſome Time might be ſpent with them in extraordinary Supplications to Heaven, upon ſo extraordinary an Occaſion; to which we readily and willingly conſented. It was propos'd at firſt to have it with the Church in private; but finding the Inhabitants concurring with the Church in the Motion and Requeſt, it was agreed to have it in Publick: Accordingly the Afternoon was ſpent in Prayer in the Public Meeting Houſe, with a large and weeping Aſſembly; and the Word accompanied Prayer, in a ſeaſonable Diſcourſe made by one of the Miniſters, from thoſe Words, Eph. 2. 21. In whom all the Building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord.

The Day after this Mr. Breck return'd to Springfield; and tho' the Council, after mature Deliberation upon the Caſe, were unanimouſly of Opinion, that as he had given, and was ſtill ready to give, full Satisfaction about his Principles, the Objections that had been made againſt him from Connecticut of ſo long ſtanding, were no longer a Bar in the Way of his Ordination; and tho' many of the People were deſirous, if we had Light in our own Minds for it, that we ſhould then proceed to ordain; yet we tho't it beſt, on many Accounts, to proceed no further in the Affair at that Time: We therefore only come to a Reſult, in which we gave our Opinion and Advice to the Church; and having agreed to ſtay and keep the following Sabbath with them, our Reſult was then publickly read. The next Day we made an Adjournment; and, after ſeveral Seſſions by Adjournment, and after the Affair was determined in Favour of the Church and of the Council, ſo far as it went in the General Court upon the People's Complaint, the Council, after the Space of more than three Months, met again at Springfield, and finding the People did abide firm in their Choice of Mr. Breck, and continue ſtedfaſt in their Deſires to have him ordain'd their Paſtor, we did, upon what we eſteem'd ſufficient Satisfaction, proceed to anſwer their Deſires. — And now, Where does the driving and violence, they ſpeak of, appear? We think we proceeded in the Affair by very ſlow and leiſurely Steps; and ſhew'd much Moderation in our Councils and Managements; and that there was no other driving but this, that we did not ſtay at Home when they bid us, and ſtop as they would have had us.

Another Thing they complain of us for, is, that we had not a public Hearing of the Caſe. Thus they ask, P. 47. Can it be tho't a proper Act of an Eccleſiaſtical Council, to bear Matters of public Scandal, in which many are greatly concern'd, in a private and hidden Manner? As was the Caſe here. If Eccleſiaſtical Councils, (or indeed any Judicature) acting as ſuch, ſhould thus conduct themſelves, we cannot but think that they would give the World too much Reaſon to think, that they had other Things in View, than Righteouſneſs, Truth and Pence. When the Council, Witneſſes, and Accuſed, were ſecure within the Walls of a private Chamber, the Door faſt ſhut, and latch'd upon them, the Buſineſs proceeded, &c. That Eccleſiaſtical Councils always meet firſt in a private Houſe, and there form themſelves into a Council, chuſe a Moderator, Clerk, &c. and prepare Matters for a public Hearing, before they go into Public, is known to all that have ever attended ſuch Aſſemblies. And the only Reaſon why we did not go into a public Hearing of this Caſe, was becauſe the diſſatisfied declar'd they would not ſubmit their Matters to us a Council; and tho' they bro't to the Council a long Paper of Charges, or Allegations, againſt Mr. Breck, yet they once and again refus'd to bring their Proofs to ſupport them; as appears by the 46th Page of the Narrative. And when the Rev. Meſſi. Kirtland and Clap, were afterwards deſir'd to give the Council an Account of what they knew relating to Mr. Breck's Principles, they declar'd they did not come to be Accuſers; they had been ſent for by the diſſatisfied to be Witneſſes, but now they were come they found thoſe that had ſent for them would not improve them in that Capacity, becauſe they were determin'd not to ſubmit their Affairs to us as a Council; and they, for their own Parts ſhould not put themſelves into the Place of Accuſers, and ſo be under Obligation themſelves to get Proofs and Evidences. The Council then ſaid to them to this Purpoſe, 'We will not conſider you in the Caſe, either as Witneſſes or Accuſers, but as Friends to Truth, and Perſons concern'd for the Purity of the Churches, and ſpeaking only to give the Council what Light you can at their Requeſt to you; and we hope, and, as far as we can, engage, that neither Mr. Breck nor his Friends, ſhall take Advantage of what you ſhall ſay, to give you any Trouble.' Then theſe Gentlemen deſir'd the Hearing might be in public. — But the Council told them, 'There could be no Foundation for a public Hearing, unleſs ſome Perſons would appear as Accuſers. They themſelves refus'd to do that; and the diſſatisfied Brethren, when they bro't in their Paper of Allegations, declar'd they would not bring their Proofs; and to arraign a Man in a public Judicature, when no one appear'd as his Accuſer, & when thoſe that pretended to exhibit Charges againſt him, declar'd, at the ſame Time, that they would not ſupport their Charges by evidence, was contrary to the Rules of common Juſtice: But if the diſſatisfied Brethren, would let us know they were ready to ſupport their Charges, or they themſelves would be his Accuſers, we were free & ready to go into a public Hearing.' And herein we can't but think our Conduct will be juſtified by all wiſe and juſt Men. And as to the Door's being ſhut, while theſe Reverend Gentlemen wore giving us their Account, the Weather was too cold to allow it to ſtand open; but it was never ſhut to keep out any that they deſir'd might be preſent. They did deſire Meſſi. Stephen Williams, Hopkins, Raynolds, and Bull, and ſome others might be preſent, & they were readily admitted. — It look'd very odd, that when the diſſatisfied refus'd to ſubmit the Caſe to us, and theſe Gentlemen declin'd the Place of Accuſers, a public Hearing ſhould ſtill be ſo preſs'd for on all Sides, as it was. There is ſome Reaſon to think, there was another Deſign in it, beſides the the endeavouring to blacken Mr. Breck all that they could. We know, (for it was prov'd before the Honourable Houſe of Repreſentatives) that a Warrant was prepar'd to apprehend that Part of the Council which did not belong to the County; and the going into public would have given a fairer Opportunity to have 〈◊〉 the Warrant, and ſome more Colour to proſecute us for a Riot. But we can aſſure them not the Jealouſy of this, but the Unreaſonableneſs and Injuſtice of the Thing, made us decline going into publick.

Another Thing they ſay, (P. 91.) that ſhew'd the Prejudice of the Council was, their appearing Mr. Breck's Advocates, even before they came to a Reſult, as one of the Delegates did openly in Court. One would think they might be aſham'd to hint any thing of what was tranſacted in the Court-Houſe! — But an Eccleſiaſtical Council, and a civil Court, are very different Things: And why one Man's ſpeaking for another in a civil Proceſs, muſt diſqualifie him from acting in an Eccleſiaſtical Affair, when that ſame Perſon is concern'd, other People will not ſo readily apprehend as theſe Gentlemen do: Beſides that Delegate appear'd there in Behalf of the Council, as well as Mr. Breck.

They proceed and ſay, (P. 91.) Another Thing that ſhews the Prejudice of the Council, was their cauſing to be read, (as we preſume it was of their ordering, becauſe done ſo publickly under their Window) on Horſe-back, in the Street, in the midſt of a Multitude of People, Declarations of certain Perſons, to no other End, but to repreſent Mr. Kirtland and Mr. Clap to be Liars, &c. The Hiſtory of this alſo was given before, (P. 65.) ſomething more particularly, after this Manner, Upon the Ninth of October, there was a very great Concourſe of People gather'd at the Houſe where the Council was ſitting; whether call'd together, or accidentally met, we don't pretend to determine: But can't but take Notice of a very remarkable Scene that then open'd, which was this; The People being aſſembled in great Numbers before the Door, a young Gentleman, now of the Eccleſiaſtical Order, diſtinguiſh'd himſelf, by mounting a Horſe, and reading off Mr. Breck's Confeſſion of Faith, (the firſt poſſibly, that ever was read on Horſe-back) And that which is more ſurpriſing ſtill is, that tho' the Day before, the Evidences in Oppoſition to Mr. Breck's groſs Errors, muſt needs be beard in a moſt private Manner; yet now the Evidences to invalidate them, muſt be read on Horſe-back, &c. We have before taken Notice of the prodigious Piece of Wit, about the Horſe and the Aſs, which this ſerves to introduce; that which we have now to ſpeak to is the Matter of Fact related. And tho' the Gentlemen's Manner of Reaſoning here is admirably ſtrong, ſcil. It was done under their Window, therefore by their Order; yet we can aſſure them, if they will give Credit to us, that let it be done where it would, it was not only without the Council's Order, but without their Knowledge. The Time they ſpeak of in which it was done, was the Day after Mr. Breck was carried from the Council before the Juſtices, and while he was with them the ſecond Time, and they were ſigning the Warrant to ſend him to Connecticut. The Buſineſs of the Council being now obſtructed, they were adjourn'd, and the Members of it ſcatter'd, ſome in one Place and ſome in another. Two or three of them were ſitting & diſcourſing by the Fire-ſide, in the Chamber where the Council had ſat, and there came up one or two of the Church, & ſaid to them, 'They had heard ſome Evidences had been bro't to the Council, tending to invalidate ſome of the Evidences againſt Mr. Breck, and that Mr. Breck had himſelf given in a Confeſſion of his Faith; and defir'd they might ſee them.' They were anſwer'd, 'That if they would be patient for a Day or two, the Council would by that Time come to a Reſult, and the Church would be ſent for in a Body, and the Council would then give them all the Light they had themſelves.' They ſaid, 'They ſuppos'd it would do no Hurt juſt to take them down and read them, and they ſhould ſoon be return'd.' So the Perſon who had thoſe Papers in his Pocket, let them take 'em, without any Tho't of their being read in ſo publick a Manner. But, it ſeems, as they began to read them; one and another gather'd about, and becauſe they that had them could not read them very readily, a young Gentleman, a Candidate for the Miniſtry, who happen'd to be by, was deſir'd to read them; and becauſe more gather'd about than could well hear, he was perſwade'd by ſome of them to get upon a Horſe that hung by the Door. The Gentlemen of the Council who were ſitting together up Stairs, perceiv'd nothing of all this, till it was juſt over; probably, they would not have advis'd to the Thing in the Manner of it, had they known it before. However, it may be remark'd, This was nothing near ſo public as the Tranſactions in the Town Houſe the Day before, where all the Charges againſt Mr. Breck were read to a much greater Multitude, and as if they were not drawn un full enough, were harrangu'd upon, according to the beſt of ſome Men's Talent, on Purpoſe to blacken him the more. But if the Concern of this young Gentleman for his Friend, at ſuch a Time as this, did carry him a Step beyond the Rules of Prudence, for theſe Gentlemen to publiſh it in ſuch a Way as they have done, with a plain Deſign to bring, as far as this can do it, an Odium upon him, helps to ſhew with what Tenderneſs they uſe thoſe that do any Thing that is not pleaſing to them. And that which makes it ſtill look worſe in them, is, that Mr. Kirtland and Clap, whom they ſpeak of as injur'd by it, did not manifeſt themſelves offended with him for it; but a Week or two after aſſiſted in his Ordination. But it will not hurt the young Gentleman, with thoſe that know his diſcreet, ſober, and ingenious Converſation, which ſome of us had Opportunity with Pleaſure to obſerve.

The worſt Charge, it ſeems, is reſerv'd for the laſt; They finiſh with ſaying, (P. 92.) Another Thing that ſhews the Prejudice and Violence of the Gentlemen of that Party (if thoſe can be called Gentlemen that can be guilty of ſo ſordid an Act) is their intercepting and breaking open, and publiſhing in the Gazette, a private Letter of a Perſon of Diſtinction to his Friend; the taking ſuch Methods to promote their Deſign, will have a Tendency to render both the Deſign, and them that promote it, infamous in the Eyes of all wiſe and ſober Perſons: Herein they have done that in the Face of the World, as glorying in it, which common KNAVES and RUFFIANS when they do, do privately, and keep ſecret, as being aſhamed of it. The Gentleman that writes this ſeems to have his Temper pretty much rais'd, and to deſire to raiſe the Paſſions of his Readers too. And we acknowledge ſuch an Act deſerves to be had in Deteſtation and Abhorrence. But as they relate the Story, it wants, as many of their Stories unhappily do, the needful Circumſtance of Truth. We are, ſome of us at leaſt, charg'd with intercepting this Letter. But we do, every Man of us, (if they'l allow us once more to borrow ſome of their own Words) ſolemnly declare, to all that will give us the Credit of Men of common Honeſty & Truth, that if the Letter they refer to was intercepted, we were, no manner of Way in the World, knowing of, or concern'd therein. A Copy of a certain Letter was bro't to Boſton, but not one of us knows, from whom, or by whom, it came. Nay, we had not the leaſt Tho't of its being intercepted, or broken open, till the Narrative told us of it. But our Tho't was, that the Perſon to whom it was ſent, thinking it muſt have great Influence as it came from a Perſon of ſuch Diſtinction, had ſhewn it at Springfield, till ſome Body had taken a Copy of it. For theſe Gentlemen therefore to charge it ſo roundly upon ſome of us, upon no better a Foundation, and with ſuch Terms of Reproach, as they uſe, is very injurious Treatment, and we might juſtly return their hard Words upon them; but we will only ſay, They may do well to conſider, if it be not a Breach of the ninth Commandment, which they are obliged to teach others to obſerve and keep.— And as it was never intercepted by us, ſo it never was publiſhed by us, nor by any Body elſe that we know of. It is true there was an Advertiſement publiſh'd in the Gazette, by Way of Amuſement, with ſome Paſſages of this Letter interſpers'd, the whole Deſign of which ſeem'd to be to let the Gentleman that wrote the Letter, & him to whom it was written, know that it had fallen into other Hands. It may be, but few of our Readers ever ſaw the Advertiſement, and ſome of them, perhaps, may have a Curioſity to read it, we will therefore tranſcribe it.

Now, that the Reader may judge whether the Letter was publiſh'd in this Advertiſement, there ſhall follow a Copy of it; and as they ſay it came from a Perſon of Diſtinction, ſo we judge it to be a Letter of Diſtinction; tho' we will not ſo much as gueſs at the Perſon it came from.

The Reader may now ſee upon what Foundation their Complaints of us, and Charges upon us, do ſtand. But barely to vindicate our ſelves will not do. The Gentlemen will not be contented unleſs

IV. We let them, and the World, know wherein their Conduct is to be blam'd, or they are to be charg'd with any Injuriouſneſs, Uſurpation, &c. They begin their Defence with a Complaint, that we have never ſignified to them, what Parts of their Conduct have been Matter of Difficulty with us, or wherein we have thought it blame-worthy. And in the 73 Page they ſay, We have heard there is a great Cry of inſufferable Tyranny in the Hampſhire Aſſociation: We deſire that thoſe that have made and promoted it, either in this County, or elſewhere, making all the Improvement they can of their own Obſervation, and all the Information they can get from any People in the County, or thoſe Miniſters that belong to us, that have diſſented from us in the late Affair, to ſhow in any one Inſtance wherein the Aſſociation of the Miniſters of Hampſhire have, in this Caſe, or any other, done any Thing that has in the leaſt ſavour'd of a Spirit of Uſurpation or Tyranny, or whereby the Privilege of any Congregational Church have in the leaſt Degree been invaded. And is it to the Honour of them that make this Clamour, that they are the Authors of ſo great a Noiſe and Uproar, againſt a Body of Miniſters in the Country, whereof they can give no Account, of ſhew any Ground? To gratify theſe Gentlemen, we will freely let them know, wherein we think their Conduct, in ſome Parts of it, is to be blam'd, and has more than ſavour'd of Uſurpation and Tyranny. But becauſe they have heard that they have been blam'd, in Things that we never heard them blam'd for, we will, (to do them Juſtice) let them know wherein we do not lay any Blame to them.

We do not blame them in the leaſt, becauſe they have in ſome Inſtances forborn to act as (they ſay) Mr. Breck, and the firſt Church in Springfield, would have bad them, becauſe they would not act againſt their Judgments; No; ſo far from this that we think they are to be commended & honour'd for it, & not blam'd. And we intirely agree with them, that their not acting againſt their Judgments, was ſo far from invading the Rights of any Congregational Church, that whoever oppoſes them in it, invades their Right, not as Members or Miniſters of either Congregational or Presbyterian Churches, but as Partakers with the reſt of their Species of the Nature of rational Creatures. But then they ſhould be willing to allow others, who are as rational and free Creatures as themſelves, a Right to act according to their Judgments. We can't but think, Mr. Chauncey, Mr. Devotion, and Mr. Rand, had as good a Right to act according to their Judgments, in the Affair of Springfield, as Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Edwards, had to forbear acting againſt their Judgments; and that to oppoſe them therein is to invade their Rights as Partakers with the reſt of their Species of the Nature of rational Creatures.

Neither do we at all blame them, that they have, either in private Converſation, or more openly, freely declar'd their Opinions, about the Springfield Affair; if they have but ſpoken the Words of Truth and Soberneſs. We are no more aware than themſelves are, that either Congregational Churches or Councils, had ever a Right to oblige neighbouring Miniſters to hold their Tongues, and not to dare to ſpeak their Minds about the Regularity of their Proceedings. But neither are we aware that Presbyterian Miniſters have a Right to tie the Legs and Hands of Congregational Miniſters, that they ſhall not come & ordain a Miniſter in a Congregational Church, that has ſent to them to exerciſe ſuch an Act of Communion with them.

And, that we may lay as little Blame as poſſible upon theſe Brethren, we ſay farther, We never blam'd them, nor ſo much as ever heard them blam'd, becauſe the Rev. Mr. Williams, the Rector of the College in New-Haven, was at Springfield at the Time wherein the Ordination was intended. Tho' we think the Excuſe they make about his being there is ſomething lame. They ſay, he came up a little before on a Viſit to his Rev. Father at Hatfield, and was then on his Return home, and came both to Hatfield, and to Springfield, without any of their Procurement; and they ſuppoſe bad as much Buſineſs there as the greater Part of Gentlemen have that attend Ordinations, and conclude he did not think he tranſgreſs'd any Rule, or invaded any Bodies Right in going there. If neither his being there, nor his Conduct there, needs an Excuſe, why do theſe Gentlemen go about to make one for him? But if one is at all needed, it's Pity but they ſhould make a better. He might, and no doubt did, make a Viſit to his Rev. Father at Hatfield, but we know a great Part of his Time was ſpent at Northampton and Springfield, eſpecially the latter Place, where he was more than once, and for diverſe Days together, tho' it is twenty Miles from his Father's Houſe at Hatfield. We can hardly think he came as other Gentlemen do to an Ordination, when the Week before, he could conſidently give out at Springfield, there would be no Ordination, or there ſhould be none; and ſome others of Connecticut, that were with him there, could give out the ſame. It is much more likely he came to hinder the Ordination what he could, when he was with the Juſtices, and the diſſatisfied for ſo many Days together. And whether he did not urge the ſerving the Warrant upon that Part of the Council that did not belong to the County, let the Gentleman who refus'd to Conſent to its being ſerv'd, be inquir'd of. When Mr. Breck was taken from the Council, into the public Town-Houſe, & treated after the Manner he was, did not Mr. Rector Williams ſit there, with a ſingular Air of Pleaſure in his Countenance, to the Obſervation of many that ſaw him? And did he not faithfully attend at Springfield, till the Buſineſs was ſo far over, that the Warrant was ſign'd to ſend him to Connecticut? Then he rode a Way a little before, no doubt to prepare him a ſuitable Reception in that Colony; and to do as that Perſon of Diſtinction did, who wrote the Letter from N— H— to L—g-M—d—w. Yet we fully agree with theſe Gentlemen, that it would look hard, if they muſt be accountable for his being there, or for what he did there.

That we think they were to blame about the Choice of the Committee of Aſſociation, to hear Mr. Breck, and the Witneſſes, we have ſaid already. As likewiſe in their refuſing to give us a friendly Meeting, and ſtanding aloof from us, when we came into the County. But eſpecially do we think them Blame-worthy in that they have as an Aſſociation, or as County Miniſters, ſet up a Juriſdiction over the firſt Church in Springfield, and claim'd for themſelves the ſole Cognizance of the Affairs of that Church, and endeavour'd to limit, controul, and over-rule them, in their free electing and ordaining Power. Herein, we ſay plainly, we think they have invaded the Rights of a Congregational Church, and are chargeable with no ſmall Degree of Injuriouſneſs, Uſurpation, and Tyrany. It will doubtleſs be expected that we ſhew the Ground of this Charge, and wherein it appears that the Hampſhire Miniſters have ſo done.

Now,

That theſe Gentlemen did, by virtue of their Situation and Office, take the Affair of Springfield into their Hands, without its being referr'd to them by that Church, has been already made evident from their own Narrative; and that to judge of the Proceedings of that Church in the Call and Settlement of their Miniſter, did of Right belong to them, and them only, is what they argue and contend for, when they come to that Part which they call their Defence. See the 78th, 79th, 80th, & 81ſt Pages; out of which we have had Occaſion to tranſcribe ſeveral Paſſages already, and therefore ſhall omit them here to avoid Repetitions.

That they endeavour'd to keep the Caſe in the Hands of the Aſſociation, and bring the Church at Springfield under a Neceſſity to ſubmit to their Judgment and Deciſion, is evident from the great Pains they took to hinder the Churches ſent to from coming up upon the Occaſion. Many Letters were wrote to this End, in which were ſuch Paſſages as theſe; "It is an odd Thing, that the Caſe of a Candidate, bro't before an ASSOCIATION, ſhould be wreſied out of their Hands, (Nam ſub judice lis erat) under a Notion of the Privilege that the Churches have to chooſe their own Officers, or of the Liberty to chooſe whom they will to ordain." — "If the Charges againſt Mr. Breck were heard by our whole ASSOCIATION, and be was clear'd by them, Things would be like to be eaſy.'— "For Gentlemen to come from diſtant Parts to concern themſelves in this Affair, OR AND THE LIKE CASE, is irregular, and not to juſtified, Becauſe the Miniſters of this County are equal to the Buſineſs, and becauſe they are more knowing in and better acquainted with the Caſe, and therefore more fit to be the Judges." —

This is ſtill more evident from their Conduct after the Churches ſent to did convene at Springfield: particularly by that formal Proteſtation See the Narrative, P. 38, 39, 40. ſent in againſt the Councils proceeding at all to act in the Affair, ſign'd by ſix of them, (to which another has ſince given his Concurrence) ſome of whom live about forty Miles from Springfield; in which Proteſtation they plainly claim the Church at Springfield as belonging to their Dioceſs, by telling us our coming up there, was properly, allotrio epiſcopine, to play the Biſhop in another Man's Charge.

But that the Powers of the Aſſociation might be in the moſt effectual Manner ſupported, and the Church of Springfield at laſt compell'd to ſubmit themſelves to their Juriſdiction, the Help of ſome Juſtices was call'd in; and after thoſe Gentlemen, in an Interview with the Council, had let us know that they did not think it proper that other Miniſters and Churches ſhould be concern'd in the Eccleſiaſtical Affairs of that County, there was a Warrant drawn and ſign'd, to apprehend that Part of the Council, that did not belong to the County of Hampſhire. And, if we are rightly inform'd, nothing hindred the prepared Warrant's being actually ſerv'd, but the Prudence of one of the three Juſtices, who after it was ſign'd, grew diffident in his own Mind a out the Step they were going to take, and ſo would not conſent to have it ſerv'd. By this Means it was that the Meaſures were turn'd, from the Council, upon Mr. Breck and another Warrant was ſuddenly drawn and ſign'd to apprehend him; which was accordingly executed. — And if we ſay, that the Miniſters of the Hampſhire Aſſociation, a conſiderable Number of them at leaſt, were acceſſary to this Interpoſition of the Juſtices, it is no groundleſs Surmiſe. If they were not the Perſons that complain'd to the Juſtices, or went to fetch them down to Springfield, yet, we know that Mr. Williams of Long-Meadow, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Raynolds, Mr. Bull, and Mr. Aſhley, with a Perſon of Diſtinction from Connecticut, came to Springfield when the Juſtices did, and were in Converſation, if not in Conſuit, with them, and the diſſatisfied Party, from Day to Day, till the Buſineſs was over. — Indeed the four Miniſters that were preſent at the Deſire of Mr. Kirtland and Clap, when thoſe Gentlemen gave their Account of Matters to the Council, did ſeem ſurpriz'd to ſee Mr. Breck apprehended. And one of them particularly, ſaid to a Miniſter of the Council, that he knew nothing of it, but was ſurpriz'd and griev'd at it. And we charitably believe him; for till then they imagin'd the Council was to be apprehended; for the ſudden Change of their concerted Meaſures from the Council to Mr. Breck, was made while they were preſent in the Council at the Hearing; and, we make no doubt, but it was a grievous Diſappointment to them, that the Members of the Council were not ſeiz'd & committed, inſtead of Mr. Breck. — That it mayn't be ſaid this is a bare Conjecture of ours, we will tranſcribe a Paſſage or two from a Letter, which one of thoſe Miniſters afterwards wrote to a Miniſter of the Council, — "I thought I had ſatisfied you when at Springfield, that I was not acceſſary to the Meaſures that the civil Magiſtrate took; for you told me you believ'd me, when I told you I was not. But I hear in Town, and from Boſton, that I am miſtaken if I think I have ſatisfied you, that I was no way acceſſary, &c. I am ſorry that my Veracity is bro't into ſuch Suſpicion with you; but yet I venture again to tell you, and that in Writing, that I am not ſenſible that I was acceſſary: For the Application to the civil Authority, by the grieved Party, was not only without my Advice, but even without my Knowledge. For Capt. P— jun. went up with the Complaint to N— H— on Monday Morning, and I knew nothing of it till the Afternoon.— Nay, that Day Mr. Breck was ſeiz'd, I was ſo ignorant of the Method the civil Authority intended to take, that it was a Surpriſe to me that Mr. B— was ſeiz'd; for I had concluded by what I had occaſionally heard among them, that the Complaint was againſt the Council." It is very plain from this, that when the Gentleman ſpeaks of his not being acceſſary to the Meaſures the civil Magiſtrate took, he means the apprehending Mr. Breck. He acknowledges that he (and no doubt the reſt of his Brethren) knew of the Scheme as it was laid againſt the Council. We would then ask them, Whether they advis'd againſt it when they did know it, or manifeſted a Diſapprobation of it? If they had ſo, and done it, not feignedly, but in ſuch a Manner as ſhew'd them to be hearty in it, we believe their very civil Friends would have been loth to have griev'd them; and if they did not, we think they can't ſay, they were no ways acceſſary. But on the contrary we have Reaſon to think they diſcover'd an Approbation of & Satisfaction in it. One of them ſaid to a young Gentleman of Springfield, on the Evening before that on which the Warrant was to be ſerv'd on the Council, —To Morrow is Wedneſday — and — Mark my Words! — The Town of Springfield will be in the greateſt Convulſion it was ever in ſince it was a Town. — And the ſame Gentleman, (if we are not miſinform'd) when the coming up of the Council the ſecond Time was mention'd in Converſation, could ſay, If they do, the Jail is the fitteſt Place for them—. And we know another of them was not ſo much griev'd at the taking of Mr. B—, but he could go ſoon after, where a Number that had been engag'd in the Affair were together, and ſay to them, with an Air that did not diſcover much Grief, — Well, Gentlemen, We have had a fine Ordination to Day! — And ſince the Affair was over, the Action of the Juſtices has been not only vindicated, but applauded by them. One Reverend Gentleman in particular has theſe Words in a Letter, "I thank God we have Men in that Order, who know the Truth, and do honour it by their Practice, and are ready to appear in the Defence of it, when they ſee a juſt Occaſion. — Now, when theſe Gentlemen have manag'd after this Manner; — not only taking the Caſe of Springfield Church into their Hands before it was put there, but claiming a Right to be the ſole Judges of the Proceedings of that Church; uſing their utmoſt Endeavours that the Churches they applied to might not come to them; and when they did come, proteſting in ſo formal a Manner againſt their Proceeding in the Affair they were call'd upon, becauſe it belong'd to themſelves, and would be playing the biſhop in their Dioceſs; and then getting ſome in civil Authority to interpoſe as they did, to ſtop the Proceedings of the Church, and the Council they had call'd —; After all this, to hear them gravely ask, Where is the Foundation of all the Noiſe that has been about the Uſurpation and Injuriouſneſs of what we acted? And deſiring us, that making uſe of our own Obſervation, and all the Information we can get, we would ſhow wherein they have done any Thing, that has in the leaſt ſavour'd of a Spirit of Uſurpation and Tyranny, or whereby the Privileges of a congregational Church, have in the leaſt Degree been invaded,

—Riſum teneatis, Amici?

But we come in the next Place,

V. To declare the Grounds upon which we proceeded to the Ordination of Mr. Breck to the paſtoral Office in the Firſt Church in Springfield.

And here we think it proper firſt to declare what we did not make the Ground of our Proceeding; tho' it is ſuggeſted as if we did. — Thus we did not make it the Ground of our Proceed ng that the Witneſſes were not to be regarded. We think we gave all the Credit to the Teſtimonies of the Rev. Mr. Kirtland and Mr. Clap in particular, that was due to Miniſters of the Goſpel, of an eſtabliſh'd Character and Reputation; and we ſhould have done it, if they had bro't no Certificates from the Aſſociation. It is true, there were ſome Evidences that tended to prove a Contradiction upon Mr. Clap; the Witneſſes, (who were Meſſi. Lazell and Cook) being ready to teſtifie, That when the People of Scotland invited Mr. Breck to ſettle with them, they went to Mr. Clap to adviſe with him upon the Affair, who then told them without Heſitation, that he knew nothing but Mr. Breck's Principles were as good as any Man's in the World. But their Evidences were not formally receiv'd by the Council, nor were they at all us'd by us to invalidate the Teſtimony of that Gentleman. Nay, tho' the Evidences that were given in to the Council, were ſuppos'd to be drawn up about a Year and half after the Converſation, and thoſe Diſcourſes, in which the Words and Expreſſions teſtified to, were deliver'd; and tho' there was Reaſon to think the Teſtimonies of ſome of the other Witneſſes were drawn by Mr. Clap himſelf; (for tho' the Gentlemen mention it in their Narrative, P. 15, as an ill Report, that Mr. Clap wrote Huntington's Evidence, yet they don't contradict it, & ſay he did not do it. And Mr. Lazell declares that when Mr. Clap came to him, as he did to others, to get his Teſtimony, he would have had it run in ſuch Terms as he could not in Conſcience ſubſcribe to: And when he told him how his Evidence muſt run, if he gave one at all, then his Evidence was no longer deſir'd) yet the Council did not put by their Evidences on this Account.

Neither did we make Mr. Breck's own Vindication of himſelf, the Ground of our Proceedings. As to his denying the Things alledg'd againſt him, as if there was no Foundation for them, but the Witneſſes all lied in their Teſtimonies, he never pretended to do it. He did indeed in a Letter to a Friend, ſay of one Gentleman, that he lied; but it referr'd to a particular Thing which that Gentleman declar'd Mr. Breck ſaid to him at ſuch a particular Time, which the Gentleman has not yet prov'd, and we preſume never can; becauſe the Gentleman owns the Converſation was in private, and no Witneſſes were preſent. With reſpect to ſome Part of what was alledg'd, he might ſay, he did not remember his expreſſing himſelf ſo, and could not think be did: But yet his Word was in nothing receiv'd by the Council, againſt the Declaration of the Witneſſes. As to ſome of the Points objected, He declar'd they never were his ſettled Belief, tho' he acknowledg'd he was at that Time in Doubt about them, and might in Diſcourſe of them ſpeak with too much ſeeming Aſſurance; which agrees with what the Rev. Mr. Kirtland ſays in his Evidence, that when he had ſometimes ask'd him, Whether be really believed thoſe Principles for which he diſputed? He commonly reply'd, Some of them he did believe, and that ſometimes he argued from the Opinion of others. And as to other Matters, tho', when he related the Occaſion and Circumſtances of his Diſcourſe with the Perſons that witneſs'd againſt him, & explain'd his own Senſe, by adding ſome other Paſſages deliver'd at the ſame Time, that tended to clear up his Meaning, it ſet Things in a different Light from what the Evidences plac'd them in, yet, the Council did not make this the Ground of their Proceeding, as if he had offer'd what fully came up to every particular, and ſtood ſufficiently clear of the Things alledg'd againſt him, and his Repreſentation of Things was right, and their's wrong.

Much leſs did the Council make it the Ground of their Proceeding, that the Matters objected againſt him were of a ſmall or trifling Nature: No; we thought them of very great Importance, and ſuppoſe we do, in our Judgments lay as much Weight upon them, as the Gentlemen themſelves diſapprov'd of our Proceedings. — But we proceeded upon what we eſteem'd a full Satisfaction as to Mr. Breck's preſent Orthodoxy, or Soundneſs in the Faith; as appears by the Council's Reſult, of which a Copy here follows;

The Satisfaction given as to Principles is here ſaid to be both by an Examination, and a Confeſſion of his Faith. The Examination referr'd to was at Boſton, more than half a Year before his Ordination; and he did not offer himſelf to be examin'd by Miniſters there, becauſe he declin'd being examin'd by the Hampſhire Miniſters; for they have told us in their Narrative, that he offer'd himſelf to Examination before them, and they refus'd him. And we can aſſure the Reader his Examination was not a ſlighty one; if the Ability & Fidelity of the Eight Miniſters that were concern'd in it may be relied on; who afterwards gave him a Teſtimonial of this Tenor.

Tho' ſuch a Teſtimonal as this, in moſt Caſes, would have been eſteem'd a ſufficient Satisfaction, yet the Council did not think it was in this. Mr. Breck was therefore directed to prepare and give in a Confeſſion of his Faith, which if it was eſteem'd orthodox, ſhould be publickly deliver'd at his Ordination, if they proceeded to it. Such a one he gave in, which, when it was read and conſider'd by the Council, was unanimouſly approv'd by them as an orthodox Confeſſion of Faith; and, at the Demand of the Moderator in the Name of the Council, it was publickly deliver'd by him, previous to his Ordination; and is as follows,

In this Confeſſion of Faith, the principal Errors Mr. Breck was charg'd with are renounc'd, and the oppoſite Truths own'd and acknowledg'd by him in the fulleſt and ſtrongeſt Terms, and the moſt ſolemn Manner, with an explicit Engagement to teach thoſe Truths to others, in the Courſe of his Miniſtry. It is therefore very ſtrange theſe diſapproving Gentlemen ſhould ſay in their Defence, P. 92, That the Council declare in their Reſult, there was nothing in the Way of his Ordination, without his ever openly making any Recantation, or any Reflection on himſelf for the Errors be had vented: And that if be did make any Recantation before the Council, it was not made publick as the Caſe requir'd, but kept private. Why; they would not ſtay to ſee what the Council did do, but broke in upon us by the Help of the civil Magiſtrate, before we had Opportunity to make any Thing public, or indeed to determine upon any Thing. But how could they ſay this when they had ſeen the Reſult, which ſays, the Confeſſion of Faith was to have been publickly deliver'd at his Ordination, had it been then proceeded to? And as to Reflections upon himſelf; Had he not made them in his Letter to Mr. Clap, which they have publiſh'd, P. 19, wherein he acknowledges his being too inconſiderate and incautious in his Diſcourſes about the Points objected againſt him; and deſires him, that if he knew any Perſons that had conceiv'd ill of Religion or Revelation on his Account, he would let them know he rejected all ſuch Opinions, &c. Theſe Gentlemen indeed make light of this Letter, and would have it paſs for nothing at all. — Better they do ſo than we, conſidering who drew it up for Mr. Breck, and tho't it ſatisfactory then, namely, The Rev. Mr. Williams of Hatfield. We think ſtill the Letter would have given more Satisfaction to thoſe that were diſpos'd to receive it, and that it might have been us'd towards repairing any Damage that had been done to Religion; for Mr. Clap had it in his Power, and was expreſly deſir'd, to make it as public as he tho't was needful.—But what is more public than the Tranſactions of an Ordination, at which Perſons from all Places round about do uſually attend? And in the Confeſſion of Faith which Mr. Breck then made, we think he did a public Honour to thoſe holy Doctrines, which, they ſay, he had denied and treated with Contempt. They may call the Confeſſion of Faith a Recantation if they pleaſe; for it plainly contains a Renunciation of thoſe Errors he had been charged with: And the Reaſon why it was inſiſted upon, and demanded of him, by the Council, when it is not of other Candidates, was, that he had given too much Occaſion to ſuſpect his holding ſuch Errors. — If any now think all this is not Satisfaction enough, it ſeems to be a hard Matter to give them Satisfaction. If Mr. Breck is now really an orthodox Man, how can he ſatisfy any that he is ſo, but by an Examination, and a ſolemn Declaration of his Faith? Unleſs it will be ſaid, There ſhould be a Time of Probation; and this there was in his Caſe; for he had been preaching at Springfield, after he left Connecticut, more than a Year & half, and approv'd himſelf orthodox by the Tenor of his Converſation and Preaching there. If one that had been ſettled for ſome Years in the Miniſtry, had been charg'd with ſuch Errors, and the Charges prov'd, and the Perſon, after a leſs Time of Probation than Mr. Breck had been preaching at Springfield, had renounc'd the Errors he was charg'd with, and own'd the contrary Truths, and ſolemnly engag'd to teach them for the Time to come, it would, doubtleſs, have been, in the Opinion of prudent & charitable Men, a ſufficient Foundation for his being reſtor'd to the Exerciſe of his Miniſtry. How much rather then ſhould this be eſteem'd a Satisfaction, in the Caſe of a young Student, (juſt bolted out of College, at little more than 20 Years of Age,) before it can be ſuppos'd he had duly inform'd his Underſtanding, and ſettled his Principles? Allow all the Objections againſt Mr. Breck in their full Strength, without any Abatement on any Account, and ſay that he was of ſuch Principles, two or three Years ago; ſtill he was not worſe than a Heretic, make the worſt of him. Now the Rule of the Goſpel in ſuch a Caſe is, Tit. 3.10. A Man that is a Heretic, after the firſt and ſecond Admonition, reject. The End of the Admonition is doubtleſs to rectific the State of the Man's Mind, and reduce him from his Errors; if this is anſwer'd, and the Man makes a Profeſſion of the Truth, that may be accounted ſincere in a Judgment of Charity, he muſt not be rejected: The Rejection is to be only in Caſe he continues obſtinate and irreclaimable. By what Rule then ſhould this young Gentleman be rejected from the Miniſtry, who was free to ſay, that whatever Doubts had been in his Mind in Time paſt about ſome certain Points in Religion, they had been long ſince removed, by Study, Converſation and Prayer; who actually ſubmitted to an Examination about thoſe Points; who openly and ſolemnly, as in the Sight of God, own'd the contrary Truths; and farther declar'd, That if any ſtill wanted Satisfaction, by Conference, or any other Way, he ſtood ready to give it to the ut moſt of his Power? As we know of no Rule by which his Rejection could be juſtified, ſo we think there are many would have been tranſgreſs'd by it.

As to Objections againſt Mr. Breck, that reſpected his Morals, beſides what relates to the Books, (which we believe, every one of our Readers will think ought no more to be mention'd) we know of none, but what they call his aſperſing ſome of the Witneſſes; by ſaying, One of them lied, and he would not take another's Word for a Groat. We have been often told in the Narrative who theſe Gentlemen were, namely, the Rev. Mr. Clap and Mr. Kirtland Mr. Clap had declar'd, that when Mr. Breck came to viſit him, after he was at Springfield, to diſcourſe with him about the Objections he had ſent thither againſt him, he ſtill perſiſted in it, that the Heathen might be ſav'd without Faith. When Mr. Breck heard the Report of this, he in his Haſte did ſay, Mr. Clap lied. When his ſaying ſo of Mr. Clap was mention'd to him in the Aſſociation as Matter of Offence, he immediately ſaid. "He was ſorry he expreſs'd himſelf in ſo haſty and indecent a Manner, but he muſt inſiſt upon it that in what Mr. Clap ſaid of him he was wrong'd". Indeed it looks very ſtrange that Mr. Breck ſhould ſo expreſs himſelf to Mr. Clap at this Time, when the whole Deſign of his Viſit was to ſee if he could ſatisfie Mr. Clap, that ſo he might manifeſt himſelf ſatisfied to the Gentlemen of Hampſhire; yet he might do it: But then the Burthen of Proof lies upon Mr. Clap; and as the Converſation was private, between Mr. Clap and Mr. Breck alone, Mr. Clap is not able to prove it, if Mr. Breck did really ſay ſo. In this Caſe, no other Acknowledgment can in Juſtice be inſiſted on from Mr. Breck, but only that he did not expreſs himſelf in a ſuitable Manner; that conſidering Mr. Clap's Station and Character, inſtead of ſaying he lied, he ſhould have ſaid, he was miſtaken, or miſ-underſtood him — And, to this Purpoſe Mr. Breck did not only ſpeak to the Aſſociation, but write to Mr. Clap himſelf. The Words of his Letter are, "So far as I have been faulty, or have fail'd in ſhewing that Reſpect which was due to you, or of that Meekneſs which becomes a Chriſtian, I ask Chriſtian Forgiveneſs; and deſire your Prayers, &c."

As to the Reaſon of Mr. Breck's expreſſing himſelf as he did, reſpecting the Rev. Mr. Kirtland, we are not particularly acquainted with it; but the Council were much concern'd that both theſe Gentlemen might have a proper Satisfaction given them, if they had been hurt in their Reputation. And therefore when they were with the Council, after they had ſaid all they choſe to ſay about Mr. Breck relating to Principles, the Moderator in the Name of the Council, inquir'd of them, "Whether they had any Charges to make againſt Mr. Breck, upon the Account of any perſonal Injury he had done them? That if they had there might be a reaſonable Satisfaction given them by Mr. Breck, which he at the ſame Time declar'd he was ready to give." But both theſe Gentlemen declin'd making any Charge upon him, or manifeſting themſelves offended with him upon any ſuch Account. And this is the Ground of what the Council ſay in their Reſult, That they are not ſenſible of any Thing reſpecting his Morals, to diſqualifie him for the Goſpel Miniſtry; inaſmuch as thoſe Perſons who have tho't themſelves aſpers'd by him, bad an Opportunity to bring in their Complaints, but did not do it; and to one of them particularly he had given what might be look'd upon to be chriſtian Satisfaction.

And now that we may draw to a CONCLUSION.

We muſt, in our Turn, deſire all that will allow themſelves to make Uſe of their Reaſon, and to think coolly on the Matter, to judge to whom it is that all the vaſt Confuſion is owing, that has hapned with Relation to this Caſe. We know indeed all Men are apt to be partial to themſelves in judging of their own Actions, yet we can't help thinking our Proceedings in this Affair are to be juſtified upon the Principles of Liberty and the Conſtitution. For we invaded no Men's Right. The Church at Springfield, which call'd us to act in their Affairs, was a free Church; and had never put themſelves under the Juriſdiction of thoſe Gentlemen that oppos'd us. They were inquir'd of, "Whether they had by any Vote, oblig'd themſelves to referr their Concerns only to the Miniſters and Churches of that Aſſociation?" And they declar'd, No! It was alſo further declar'd, That tho' ſuch a Vote had once been projected in the Aſſociation and offer'd to the Churches, and ſome of the Churches had been bro't into it, yet that this Church of Springfield, and ſome others in the County, had refus'd it.— We think alſo our Proceeding to the Settlement of Mr. Breck in this Church, is to be juſtified upon the Principle of Juſtice, as well as Tenderneſs, to one who had been devoted to the Work of the Miniſtry, and ſpent a conſiderable Part of his Patrimony in his Education for it; who had now given ſuch Satisfaction of his Soundneſs in the Faith, and of whoſe Abilities for the Work of the Miniſtry, and Sutableneſs to be their Paſtor, the Church that call'd him were generally ſo well ſatisfied.—And that we have not eſpous'd the Cauſe of Liberty, or that of a particular Perſon or Society, to the Damage of the Cauſe of Truth, which ſhould be moſt dear to us, we think appears from the Care we took to have the great Doctrines of the Goſpel both ſecur'd & honour'd: We may ſay, Such Care as was never before taken at any Ordination in the Country. And tho' theſe Gentlemen are pleas'd to repreſent us as Favourers of heterodox Principles, and having opened a Door for the letting in of Error upon the Churches, if Churches that are hereafter call'd to Ordinations, whether they are at a Diſtance, or near at Hand, will take as much Care, and receive the like Satisfaction and Engagements from thoſe whom they introduce into the Miniſtry, we believe there will be leſs Danger of the letting in of Error, than there has been for ſome Time paſt. For our Parts, we can't, after all, but hope our Conduct in this Affair will be a real Service to the Cauſe of Truth, as well as Liberty, in our Churches.— And we can't but wiſh our Brethren of Hampſhire, would, at this Time, put on a little more of that Charity, which rejoices in the Truth, and in Perſons being bro't to own and acknowledge it. Or if they ſtill allow themſelves to ſuſpect Mr. Breck's Sincerity, let them ſtay till he does ſomething againſt the Truth, before they go to give him and his Church any more Trouble. Since there has been ſuch Confuſion already, let them but do their Endeavour there ſhould be no more, & Things would, probably, very ſoon return to a State of Peace If it be the Cauſe of Truth and not their own apprehended Aſſociation Rights they have at Heart, (as they pretend) ſince Mr. Breck has been ſolemnly ordained to the Miniſtry upon thoſe profeſſed Principles which they account orthodox, why will they not own him as an orthodox Miniſter, till he diſcovers himſelf to be otherwiſe, and admit him to join with them in promoting the common Intereſts of Chriſt's Kingdom, and ſo prevent, or heal, the Breach in their Aſſociation, which they ſeem ſo much concerned about? This, we know, is what has been earneſtly recommended to them by ſome whom they profeſs a great Honour for, and is what would rejoice their beſt Friends that are at a Diſtance from them. But if they continue to ſhew no Regard to Mr. Breck as a Miniſter, and will not ſo much as pray for a Bleſſing upon his Miniſtry, upon ſpecial Occaſions that lead to it; and if they countenance the Meaſures that are now taking, to get the Pariſh preſented to the civil Court, for not being ſupplied with an orthodox Miniſter as the Law requires, we fear thoſe who have been ready to think there was nothing but the Wiſdom and Meekneſs of Moſes in them, will be ready to ſay, Ye know not what Manner of Spirits ye are of: And tho' they may call it Conſcience, others will be apt to put another Name upon it.

The Gentlemen conclude their Defence, with a ſolemn Appeal to Heaven, in the following Words; Whoever condemns us, we reſt in the Teſtimony of a good Conſcience, appealing to our Lord and Maſter, who has ſent us into his Vineyard and who is the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth, that is omniſcient, & never blinded with Prejudice, that he would judge us with reſpect to our Uprightneſs in this Affair.—Some ſerious, conſiderate Chriſtians, have been a little ſurpriz'd at ſo ſtrong an Appeal in ſuch a Caſe. For our Part, We are ſenſible that Controverſy always raiſes a Duſt, that tends to blind even wiſe & good Men; and when ſuch are fallen into a Contention, each Party are too apt to act from other Principles beſides thoſe of Religion and Conſcience, and yet not always be ſenſible wherein, or how far, they have done ſo. They are but little acquainted with the Infirmities and Corruptions of Men in their preſent beſt State, that will not allow it is humane ſo to err. We would remember the Words of the great Apoſtle, I know nothing by my ſelf, yet am I not hereby juſtified: and therefore inſtead of ſuch a confident Appeal, we would take the Liberty to cloſe this Vindication, as the Sermon at the Ordination concluded, with a humble Prayer, That wherein any of us, on either Part, have failed or done amils, God would ſhew it to us, humble us for it, and ſpare us according to his great Mercy! And that wherein we have acted ſincerely, from right Principles, & for right Ends, we may find Acceptance, for the ſake of the perfect Obedience of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who alwayes did the Things that pleas'd the Father! —That the God of Love, would unite his Miniſters and Churches, in Love to Chriſt and one another, till we ſhall all come to that bleſſed World, where no Offence ſhall ariſe, where there ſhall be no Jar, no Contention, but perfect Love and Peace and Charity, ſhall reign for ever and ever! Where that Prayer of our Saviour for his Church and People, will have its full and everlaſting Accompliſhment, THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE, AS THOU FATHER ART IN ME, AND I IN THEE; THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE IN US! AMEN.