.. but with a great deal of confidence and freedom, set up by
yourselves." The letter then goes on to adjure them to revoke the
manifesto, and adjust matters with the "neighbouring elders," "that so the
right hand of fellowship may be given to your pastor by other pastors, ...
and that you may not be the beginning of a schism that will dishonour God,
... and be a matter of triumph to the bad." [Footnote: _History of Brattle
St. Church_, pp. 29-37.]
Cotton Mather's Diary, however, gives the most pleasing view of the high
churchmen:--
"1699. 7th, 10th m. (Dec.) I see another day of temptation begun upon the
town and land. A company of headstrong men in the town, the chief of whom
are full of malignity to the holy ways of our churches, have built in the
town another meetinghouse. To delude many better meaning men in their own
company, and the churches in the neighbourhood, they passed a vote in the
foundation of the proceedings that they would not vary from the practice
of these churches, except in one little particular.
"But a young man born and bred here, and hence gone for England, is now
returned hither at their invitation, equipped with an ordination to
qualify him for all that is intended on his returning and arriving here;
these fallacious people desert their vote, and without the advice or
knowledge of the ministers in the vicinity, they have published, under the
title of a manifesto, certain articles that utterly subvert our churches,
and invite an ill party, through all the country, to throw all into
confusion on the first opportunities.
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