386 The HISTORY of the PURITAN8. Chap. VIII. Elizabeth, Thefe violent proceedings of the bithops drove great numbers of the M browns into Holland, where their leaders, Mr. Johnfon, Mr. Smith, 1595- Mr. Ainfwortb, Mr. Robinfon, Mr. facob, and others were gone before- them into And drives hand, and with the leave of the Rates were erecting churches after their Holland. own model at Amjlerdam, Arnheim, Middleburgh, Leyden, and other pla- ces. The church at Amjterdam had like to have been torn in pieces at fiat by inteftine divifions, but afterwards flourished under a fucceffion of paftors for above a hundred years. Mr. Robinfon paftor of the church at Leyden, first ftruck out the congregational or independent form of church government, and at length part of this church tranfplanting themfelves into America, laid the foundation of the noble colony ofNew England, as will be Peen hereafter. controverfy Hitherto the controverfy between the church and puritans had been about theJab- chiefly about habits and ceremonies, and church-difcipline, but now it be- batb. gan to open upon points of dottrine; for this year Dr. Boundpublifhed his treatife OF THE SABBATH, wherein he maintains the morality of a feventh part of time for the worfhip of God ; that chrittians are bound to reft on the Lord's day as much as the yews on the mofaical fabbath, the commandment of rift being moral and perpetual ; that therefore it was not lawful to follow our studies or worldly bufinefs on that day ; nor to ufe fuch recreations and pleafures as were lawful on other days, as(booting, fenc- ing, and bowling, &c. This book had a wonderful fpread among the peo- ple, and wrought a mighty reformation; fo that the Lord's day, which ufed to be prophaned by interludes, may-games, morrice-dances, and other fports and recreations, began to be kept more precifely, efpecially in cor- Fuller, porations. All the puritans fell in with this doctrine, and diflinguifhed B. IX. themfelves by fpending that part of facred time in publick, family, and p. 227. private acts of devotion, which the governing clergy exclaimed againft as a reftraint of chriflian liberty ; as putting an unequal luftre on the jionday, and tending to eclipfe the authority of the church in appointing otherfe/livals. Mr. Rogers, author of a commentary on the thirty-nine articles, writes in his preface, That it was the comfort of his foul, and would be to his dying day, that he had been the man, and the means, that the fabbatarian errors were brought to the light and knowledge of the /late. But I should have thought this clergyman might have had as much comfort upon a dying bed, if he had fpent his zeal in recommending the reli- gious obfervation of that facredday. Dr. Boundmight carry his doëtrine too high, if he advanced it to a level with the jewi/h rigors; but it was certainly unworthy the character of divines to encourage men in "hooting, fencing, and other diverfans on the Lord's day, which they are forward enoughto give way to, without the countenance and example of their fi- ritual
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