476 The HISTORY of the Pu TUTANS. Chap. II. K,ingJamesI. Mr. Collyer) to avoid maintaining the diftin&ion between that order and 16> that of priefts. La/Ily, no power is afcribed to the church in making canons, or cenfuring thofe Who either carelefly or wilfully infringe the fame. Upon the whole, thefe articles Teem to be contrived to corn- promife the difference between the church and the puritans ; and they had that effes till the year 1634. when by the influence of archbifhop. Laud and of the earl of Strafford, thefe articles were fet afide, and thofe of the church of England received in their room. Ro of the To return to England. Among the puritans who fled from the er- dents ú fecution of bifhop Bancroft was Mr. HenryJacob, mentioned in the year Endtand. 1604. This divine having conferred with Mr. Robin/on, pallor of an Englifh church at Leyden, embraced his peculiar fentiments of church difcipline, fince known by the name of INDEPENDENCY. In the year T610. Mr. ,acob publifhed at Leyden a ftnall treadle in osavo, entitled the divinebeginning and inftitution ofChrift's true vifible and material church; and followed it next year with another from Middleburgh, which he called an explication and confirmation ofbisformer treatile. Some time after he returned to England, and having imparted his defign of letting upa fepa- rate congregation, like thofe in Holland, to the molt learned puritans of thofe times, as Mr. Throgmorton, Wring, Man /il, Dod, &c. it was not condemned as unlawful, confidering there was no profpes of a national reformation. Mr.. Jacob therefore having fummoned feveral of his friends together, as Mr. Staifmore, Mr. Browne,, Mr. Prior, Airway, Throughton, Allen, Gibbet, Farre, Goodal, and others; and having obtained their con- tent to unite in church-fellowship, for enjoying the ordinances of Chrift in the pureft manner, they laid the foundationof the firft independent, or congregational church in England, after the following manner. Having ver oferett- obferved aday of folemn fatting and prayer for a blefling upon their un- ong a church. dertaking, towards the dole of the folemnity each of them made open M. pules confeffion of their faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift ;. and then flanding to- gether they joined hands, and folemnly covenanted with each other in the prefence of Almighty God, to walk together in all God's ways and ordinances; according as he had already revealed, or fhouldfurther make them known to them. Mr. yacob was then chofen pallor by the fuffrage of the bro- therhood, and others were appointed to the office of deacons, with falling and prayer and- impofition of hands. The fame- year [1.616.] Mr. ya- cob publifhed a proteftation or confon in the name- of certain chriftians, fheweng howfar theyagreed with the church of England., andwherein-they dered, with the realms of their difent drawn fromferipture; to which was added, a petition to the king for the toleration of filch chriftians. And fome time after he publifhed a colle5tian offind reafons,'hewing bownecfang it is for all ch. r f ians to walk in all the ways and ordinances of God
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