·so6 CJhe 'HIS T 0 RY oj ·the PuinTAN"s. VoL. n. 0\iver dents infenfible of the defeCt; for hitherto (fay they) there have " been ProteCiot·. « {1( • ' f h j · f · · ~ 1658 _ " no a .oc 1 tatwn o ou_r c ~c 1es, nho mheettngsl?k ~ur mtn~il:.ers to pro- ~,......___J mote t e common mteren; our c urc es are 1 e 10 many 1n1ps launch– Confejf.Prej." ed fingly, and failing apart and alone in the vail: ocean of thefe tu– ,p. 6 · « multuous times, expofed to every wind of doCtrine; under no other " conduCt than the word andJpirit, and their particular elders, and prin– ce cipal brethren, without affociations among themfelves, or fo much as " holding out a common light to others, whereby to know where they " were." To remedy this, fame of their divines and principal brethren in London met together, and propofed, that there might be a correfpond– ence among their churches in city and country, for counfel and mutual edi– fication; and for as much as all fccts and parties of chriil:ians had pub– lifhed a corife!fion oj their faith, th ey apprehendecl the world might reafonably expect it from them; for thefe reafons they petition- ,ed the proteClor for liberty to afiemble for th is pupofe. This was ·oppofed by fame of the court, as tending to eflablifh a feparation be– tween them and the prdbyterians; nor was the proteCtor himfelf fond 'Gf it; however he gave way to their importunity, and as Mr. Eacbard reprefents that matter, when he was moved upon his death· bed to dif– countenance their petition, he replied, they mufl befatiificd, they mlfft be Jatisfied or we jha/1 all rzm back into blood again. Their ajfcmHowever the protector did not live to fee the fruits of this affembly, Nr- , whieh was appointed to be held at the Savoy Oc-'1obo· I 2, z6 sS, where ~~~~.~~·. s minifiers and mcffengers from above one hundred congregational churches ·, ol. ll p. met together, of which the majority were laymen, the refi paflors in H4· churches, and tome younger divines about the court, as the reyerend and learned Mr. John Howe, at that time chaplain to the young protector and .·others. They opened their fynod with a day of falling and prayer, and after fame debate, whether they fhould adopt the doCtrinal articles of the Wijlminfler aifembly for their own, with fome amendments and addi– tions, it was thought more advifable to draw up a new coifi'lfion, but to keep as near as pofiible to the method and order of the other. A com– mittee of the moil: eminent divines was chofen for this work (viz,) Dr. 'Iho. Goodwin, Dr. Owen, Mr. Phi!. Nye, Mr. William Bridge of Yar– mouth, Mr. Jrf. Caryl, and Mr. William Greenhill. While thefe were employed in preparing, and putting together the articles of their confef– fion, the fynod heard complaints, and gave advice in feveral cafes which were brought before them, relating to difputes or differences in their churches. The particular heads of doCtrine agreed to by the committee, were prefented to the fynod every morning, and read by the reverend Mr. George Gri!fith their fcribe. There were fome fpeeches and debates ·upon words and phrafes, but at length all acquie(ced, and the whole was foon
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