except in fome Superftitions, which the Churches of New-England never had among them.

The Churches here, were Planted a noble Vine. Indeed it was not with refpect to the Fundamentals in Doctrine, that our Fathers came into this Wilderness. For they agree to the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England, (as fully as any, and more fully than many,) of the Conformists in that Church. But it was with Regard unto Church Order and Difcipline, that our pious Ancestors the Good old Puritan Nonconformists, tranfported themfelves and their Families, over the vast Ocean to thefe goings down of the Sun. On which Ac count, a Degeneracy from the Principles of pure Scriptural Worship and Order in the Church, would be more Evil in the Children of New-England, than any other People in the World.

May what is here performed, (with an Erudi tion, as well as a Fidelity, which I hope, will Recommend the Work,) be bleffed for their Direc tion and Eftablishment in the Good old Way, in which their Fathers have walked; The Writer of this Ratio. Difcipline will then have caufe to rejoyce in this his Labour.

THE

Introduction:

HOSE English Colonies in America, which are diftinguished by the Name of NEW-ENGLAND, were formed upon the Glorious Defign, of erecting CHURCHES, wherein the Reformation fhould be carried on, unto farther Degrees of Scriptural and Primitive Purity; than would be allowed by the Times in Europe, not yet wholly recovered out of the Antichriftian Apoftacy.

The Planting of thefe CHURCHES, (which, having obtained Help from GOD, continue unto this Day) was one of the MAGNALIA CHRISTI, in that Age that has paffed over us: The Hiftory whereof has in a large Volumn,of fuch aTitle, been given to the World. There may be a Mifinterpretation, if That should now be faid; which has been often faid, That as the Adverfaries of

this Country, (which has many more than Twice feven times Seven Golden Candlesticks illuminating of it,) have heretofore, even to a Proverb, fped as Ill, as thofe that Adverfaried the Ancient Piccardines, thus it has been alfo obferved, That Remarkable Bleffings from GOD have recompenfed the Good Offices, that well difpofed Perfons have done unto it. Inftead of making any fuch Obfervation, it is enough to fay, There are thofe in other Parts of the World, who wish well unto the Country, and have at Heart the Interefts of it: A Country which one of the most celebrated Pens in Great Britain, could not mention, but in those Terms; A Place of as ferious Piety as any I can bear of under Heaven. It is partly with an Eye to the Satisfaction of fuch Good and Fuft. Men that an Account of the Churches here, and what they are, and what they do, is now to be exhibited; And, no doubt, One Effect of it will be, that it may bespeak a Continuance of Good Offices, from fuch as are the Friends of Pure and Undefiled Religion. And the Best of Proteftants in Europe, will Judge, how far a People, whom a Great Man in an English Parliament vouchfafed once to call, The Best of Proteftants, be worthy to be look'd upon,as their UNITED BRETHREN.

With fuch, and with all that have reigning in them, the Generous and Catholick Spirit of Christianity (whereof One has given us this true Pourtraiture, C'est Esprit univerfel, qui ne connoist point toutes ces Diftinelions Charnelles, Lefquelles divifent aujourd buy tant des petits Efprits dans le Monde, (A Catholic Spirit which is above the carnal Diftinations,

tions, that make fuch Divifions at this Day, among the Narrow Souls of the World ] it will be far from any Prejudice, but, we are well affured, it will be very grateful unto them, to underftand, That the Differences between PRESBYTERIAN and CONGREGATIONAL, feem. hardly to be known in this Country. Tho' the Difcipline Recommended by the SYNODS of thefe Churches, be that which we call CONGREGATIONAL, yet it is their Defire and Study, that a Good Man, who long fince wrote an Unio Reformantium, fhould not be mistaken, when he faid, The Congregational are a Choice, if not the Beft part, of the Presbyterians. Reforming. Presbyterians retiring fometimes from England, and Scotland, and Ireland hither, have been as heartily efteemed and embraced here, as any of the Paftors born and bred in the Land; and as the Churches of New-England have impofed nothing on them, that they could confcienciously have any Scruple of; (Efpecially not Re-Ordination :) thus they have not only conformed unto the Cuftoms of the Churches, but have even made Confcience of doing fo. Yea, Tho' the Churches of New-Eng land cannot admit of many things, which they reckon Deformities retained in the Church of England, according to its prefent Canonical Confti tution, yet they cannot fee, why they may not, claim to be Real, and even fome of the Soundest Parts of the TrueChurch of England,according to the Intention of the first Reformers. And therefore in an Addrefs of the New-English Minifters, unto the Earl of Bellomont, when he was Governour of New-England, they not only afferted this People B

to

to be, A Nation of Nonconformists, which thofe in Scotland, justly look upon as their UNITED BRETHREN; but alfo declared, their Churches to be those wherein the Pure Doctrine in the famous Articles of the Church of England, is owned and preached with all poffible Purity, and the Primitive Difcipline, which even the Liturgy of the Church of England wishes to fee restored, is practifed. They will with Satisfaction understand it, that not only those of the Scotch and French Communion, are admitted into Communion in the Churches of New-England, when, they come with Teftimo nials, to ask for it; but they make only the Subfantials of Religion, or that Vital Piety wherein all Good Men are united, the Terms of Communion among them, and they do with Delight feeGodly Congregationals, and Presbyterians, and Epifcopalians, and Antipædobaptifts, and Lutherans, all Members of the fame Churches, and fitting together without Offence about their leffer Differences, (in the fame Holy Mountain) at the fame Holy Table. And if it should now be faid concerning them, to the Governours, that come over with the Royal Commiffion, to take the Charge of them, this will not be the First Time that it has been faid While our Churches are not built on any Foundation but the Maxims of the Everlasting Gospel, plainly Exhibited in the SACRED SCRIPTURES, and know no Terms of Communion, but the Indifputable Points of that folid Piety, wherein all Good Men are united, we affure our felves that Governours, who have no Par tiality for little Parties in Religion, will count Worthy of their Protection, and will

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