Mr. Browning was for some time confined in Northampton gaol for preaching the Gospel. From thence he wrote several letters to his flock in different places where they were resident. There is one published addressed to the Church at Rowell, another to the brethren of the Church at Broughton. From the former we give the following extract, as showing Mr. Browning"s spirit, and the wise and pious counsels he gave to his people.
He addresses them as "his dear brethren and beloved," and in one part of the letter observes:--
You are under the awe of that word, Heb. x. 23--25. A suffering day is the trial of our love to Christ. When there is no opposition it is easy. Do not hypocrites do so? But this is the commendation of Christ"s followers; they "follow him whithersoever he goeth." "These are they that came out of great tribulation; they are before the throne, and serve him night and day; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them; the Lamb in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall wipe away tears from their eyes." Come, my brethren, you weep now. Our tender Father has a handkerchief in his hand to wipe away our tears, ere long. Do not offend with weeping; too many tears may defile. "Woman, why weepest thou?" was our Lord"s inquiry. Tears of joy become the saints, and there is no danger in them; they will be sure to drop into his bosom, and draw out, it may be the like in him; for he rejoices over us with singing, he rests in his love. Oh, my brethren, methinks I am with you, weeping with you, joying with you, praying with you, and hearing with you. It is true fellowship my soul has with you at a distance. I long after you much in the Lord; yet rejoicingly stay his good pleasure. I would not come out a moment before his time. I would not take a step without his direction. I am wonderfully well, better and better. The cup of affliction for the Gospel is sweeter, the deeper; a stronger cordial, the nearer the bottom--I mean death itself. Oh the joy, unspeakable and glorious, the dying martyrs of Jesus have had! How full freight have been their souls in their pa.s.sage to their port! I tell you, if you knew what Christ"s prisoners some of them enjoyed in their gaols, you would not fear their condition, but long for it; and I am persuaded, could their enemies conceive of their comfort, in mere vexation of heart they would stay their persecutions. "Therefore, my brethren, my joy, my crown, stand fast in the Lord;" rejoice greatly to run your race; fear not their fear; sit loose from the world; allot yourselves this portion, that G.o.d has allotted you, "through many tribulations to enter into the kingdom of heaven." Come, the worst is death, and that is the best of all. What, do we stick at dying for him, who stuck not at it for us? Do we find difficulty in that, which will be an entrance into glory? Do princes dread their coronation days? or any loath to come to their nuptials? Foolish hearts! why do we err, not knowing, rather, not believing the Scriptures? I must stay my pen to dry my eyes, because of the overflowing of G.o.d"s love upon my soul. And now I see, if I had not something to keep me down, I could not bear the loads of G.o.d"s favour. Blessed be G.o.d, blessed be G.o.d!
"let every one that hath breath praise the Lord." "Oh, love the Lord, ye his saints!" My brethren, do not budge. Keep your ground: the Scripture is your law, G.o.d is your king. Your principles are sober; your practices are peaceable; your obedience to superiors known, in all those things wherein your obedience is required. If men have nothing against you but in the matters of your G.o.d, rejoice and triumph in all your persecutions.
The following entry we find in the records of the Church relating to the death of Mr. Browning:--Mr. Thomas Browning, pastor of this Church, was gathered to his Father"s house in peace, in an evil, persecuting day, May 9th, 1685, having served his Lord in this house with much pains and many tears, with much presence and success, about 23 years.
After this, trials pressed heavily upon them, so that we are informed "the Church had but little communion for some months, till G.o.d put it into our hearts to humble ourselves, reform his house, and set upon his work, almost lost by five or six years" persecution, and the death of our pastor. We kept a solemn day of prayer, April 22nd, 1686, with good encouragement in it, by drawing out an account of G.o.d"s dealings with the souls of those following." Then are given the names of seven persons admitted to the Church. Others were added in subsequent months of the same year; and admonitions were given to those who had fallen back for fear of persecution.
After an interval of four years, when a great and momentous change had taken place in the government and in the prospects of England, by the accomplishment of the glorious revolution by William, Prince of Orange; and when, by the pa.s.sing of the "Act of Toleration," Nonconformists could no longer be persecuted according to law--a measure which our forefathers hailed with great joy, and which made a great change from their former condition--the Church at Rowell heard of the piety and talents of Mr. Richard Davis, who was a member of a Church in London of which Mr. Thomas Cole was pastor. Mr. Davis came to them on probation, and they highly approved of his services--desired him to obtain his dismission from the Church of which he was a member, that he might be received amongst them; and then they invited him to take the pastoral oversight of them, which invitation he willingly accepted. The account of his ordination is given in the following terms:--
On the seventh day, March 22nd, 1689, the said Richard Davis, by fasting and prayer of the Church, and imposition of the hands of the eldership in the name of the said Church, was set apart to and installed in the office of pastor or bishop of the said Church of Christ at Rowell; being the answer of many prayers of the said Church. The neighbouring Churches were made acquainted with their design, and sent to, that they might be present by their messengers to behold their faith and order; but when they saw how it was to proceed, several of the neighbouring ministers withdrew, saying, there was no business for them.
In this the Church at Rowell, with their pastor, proceeded according to what they considered to be the primitive model; but it was different to the practice of the Churches around them, and the pastors coming only to be spectators of their proceedings was by no means pleasing to them; hence they appear not to have looked with a very favourable eye on Mr.
Davis, or on the subsequent proceedings of his Church.
Mr. Davis was born in Cardiganshire, in South Wales, in 1658; had a liberal education in his own country; and after some years removed to London, where he rose to such attainments in literature, that he was looked upon as well qualified to fill the office of master in a general school in the great city; and for several years he continued in a laborious and faithful discharge of its duties. He became a man of earnest, consistent piety.
In the first part of his acquaintance with divine things he sought an interview with Dr. Owen--with Christian kindness he was received. The Doctor inquired of him, "Young man, pray after what manner do you think to go to G.o.d?" Mr. Davis answered, "Sir, through the Mediator." To which the Doctor replied, "Young man, that is easily said; but I do a.s.sure you that it is another thing to go to G.o.d through the Mediator indeed than perhaps many men, who make use of the expression, are aware of. I myself preached Christ some years when I had but very little, if any, experimental acquaintance with access to G.o.d through Christ, until the Lord was pleased to visit me with sore affliction, whereby I was brought to the mouth of the grave, and under which my soul was oppressed with horror and darkness; but G.o.d graciously relieved my soul in the powerful application of Psalm cx.x.x. 4, "But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared;" from whence I received special instruction, peace, and comfort in drawing near to G.o.d through the Mediator, and preached thereupon immediately after my recovery." So free was this great man of G.o.d in communicating to others what he had felt, which, with other suitable remarks then made, was of great use to Mr. Davis, who, resolving to follow the Lord fully, made a profession of his faith in Christ, and became united to a Congregational Church. He was soon after urged to devote himself to Christ in the ministry of the Gospel.
He began to preach, and "with that savour of spirit," it is said, "that warmth of soul, that zeal and judgment, that those who heard were amazed, and glorified G.o.d in him." Leaving the advantages of London, he came down to Rowell and became the pastor of this Church. He entered upon his work here with great earnestness of spirit, and pursued it with great and untiring energy. But the methods he adopted were very different to those which generally prevailed amongst the regular pastors of the day. Such was the ardour of his zeal that he could not confine himself within the bounds of the congregation that met at Rowell, or to the places immediately around them. His course of labour somewhat resembled that of Bunyan, of whom it is said, "that he took the whole circuit of Bedfordshire, and some neighbouring counties, for his diocese." But Mr. Davis did not confine these services for the diffusion of divine truth to his own personal ministry, but he called out and employed the brethren in the Church who were considered to be endowed with suitable gifts and attainments in the knowledge of the Gospel, to go and preach the word of the Lord in places that were dest.i.tute of a Gospel ministry. He employed what is denominated "a lay agency" to a considerable extent. There were many in those days who were strictly observant of ecclesiastical regularity, who thought none should preach but those who were educated for the work and ordained to the office. The proceedings of Mr. Davis gave great offence to such, and they severely censured this part of his procedure. The view which he took of the subject, and which he promoted among his people, is thus stated in the records of the Church:--
The Church unanimously agreed, that though human learning was good in its place, yet it was not essentially necessary in the qualifications of any to be sent forth to preach the Gospel; and the Church unanimously agreed, that a Church of Christ had power within itself to choose, approve of, ordain, or send forth any to preach the Gospel, either by virtue of office, or otherwise in a probationary way in order to office, without calling in the a.s.sistance of the officers or elders of other Churches to approve with them, unless at any time they thought it necessary to desire their a.s.sistance by way of advice.
Hence the Gospel was preached, to a large extent, by the pastor and some of the members of the Church at Rowell. Considerable numbers were brought from different places to become united to that Church. Those who were too distant to attend regularly the Sabbath services at Rowell, held meetings for prayer and religious intercourse where they resided; sometimes having the Lord"s Supper administered to them, and sometimes attending with the united Church at Rowell. In some places this gave rise to another Church being formed, when the numbers were sufficient to sustain an interest, and to have a pastor of their own; this was the case at Wellingborough, Ringstead, Kimbolton, &c. It is said that the members of the Church have come to Rowell a distance of 20 miles and more, travelling with lighted lanterns part of the way on the winter mornings, and in the same manner on their return in the evening.
An interesting account is preserved of the method adopted, when the members that resided in Wellingborough and its vicinity were dismissed from the Church at Rowell, to be formed into another Church of the same order meeting at Wellingborough.
There were dismissed from us these following, to build a Church for Christ at Wellingborough, which dismission ran in these words:--
"Whereas it is the appointed way of the Lord Jesus (as it may be evidently manifest and deduced from the primitive practice), when Churches are growing too big and unwieldy to answer the ends of communion comfortably, and suitable to the design of Congregational societies, that they then divide and multiply into more Churches, whereby the Gospel as to its faith, order, and worship, may come to be spread, propagated, and commended to many dark places and corners, by multiplying the golden candlesticks that are properly to hold forth the light thereof; the work of conversion, and the great method divinely appointed for gathering in the flock of G.o.d, may be most ably managed; the comfort and establishment of the saints by instruction and exhortation, with the due exercise of authority, and mutual holy watch and care, may be more effectually carried on; the conveniences of believers, their families and neighbours, most charitably consulted and provided for; and antichrist working in its various invented forms of Churches, as diocesan, provincial, national, patriarchal, and catholic, as under one universal pastor and pope, fully prevented: this Church therefore of the living G.o.d, that chiefly a.s.sembles at Rowell, has declared over and again this to be their judgment, that when any of those dear brethren and sisters that live remotely from Rowell increase into a complete number, so as to be able to answer the ends of their dividing and inchurching, and to bear the weight of those duties inc.u.mbent on a particular independent Church of Christ (in all which there must be high living by faith in the Lord Jesus), that this Church of Christ will not only consent to their dividing for to inchurch apart, but have declared it is their duty so to do. Hereupon, after the Lord Jesus having increased this Church of Christ into a great number through his mighty blessing, and especially that branch of them that lives in and near Wellingborough, our dearly beloved brethren and sisters there and thereabouts have requested us to dismiss them from us for this end, that they might incorporate into a Church distinctly and apart from us, and independent of us; we, therefore, by virtue of power and authority leagued by the Lord Jesus amongst us, with our officers, by the present do (they having first acknowledged their faith and oneness with us in the faith and order of the Gospel) dismiss our dearly beloved brethren (then follow the names of the brethren), and also with the like proviso dismiss our dearly beloved sisters (then follow the names of the female members), for that aforementioned end of incorporating together as an Independent Church; declaring that these, or any of these, as then actually dismissed from us, that same moment they actually incorporate by actually covenanting with the Lord and one another in the presence of messengers delegated and appointed by us for that affair, and not another--and those of them that do not at first covenant, shall be deemed still members of us till they actually covenant with that body; but do then declare them dismissed from us, and give our consent for them so to do, when they shall so covenant.
Now, committing them to the Lord Jesus, to be blessed with the blessings of the upper and nether springs, and with all manner of spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, that they may multiply and increase accordingly to many hundreds, and be fed and watered every moment by the Lamb in the midst of the throne, we do in testimony of this our letter of dismission put our names."
(There were included in this dismission 27 brethren, 45 sisters.)
A certain gentleman once asked Mr. Davis "what business he had to go up and down babbling?" for so he called the preaching of the Gospel. Mr.
Davis, in the presence of all, turned to him, and, with a countenance which testified a good cause and a good conscience, said, "Sir, I was upon the work of my Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Do you know him?"
Whereupon the gentleman was struck with silence, and many more with amazement.
The preaching of Mr. Davis, we suppose, must have been very fervent and affectionate, calculated to a very considerable degree to work upon the pa.s.sions. It was probably in connexion with this that some disorders arose in their public a.s.semblies. Some females became hysterical, and cried out; and various indications of strongly excited feeling were manifest for a time; and numerous cases of affliction, many of them nervous disorders, appeared amongst them. These things being noised abroad, and exaggerated, caused some reproach.
The subject is thus noticed in the records of the Church:--"Feb. 17th, 1691, a day was kept solemnly by fasting and prayer for the afflicted, where Satan raged extremely; and the faith of G.o.d"s children was by the uplifted arm of the mighty G.o.d of Jacob made to rise proportionably, to the praise of the glory of G.o.d in Christ; and since that day, through the goodness of G.o.d, the distemper has much abated on several, as a testimony that our G.o.d is the G.o.d hearing prayer in Zion." Again: "May 23rd, 1691, was a day kept solemnly in fasting and prayer for the afflicted, when G.o.d was eminently present; and at the close of the day some of our brethren, naming the awful name of Jesus of Nazareth, brought several of them to themselves, to our great amazement, and as an earnest to encourage our faith that that glorious name ere long will make them perfectly whole." Again: "June 31st, 1691, was kept, the greatest part of the day, solemnly in prayer for the afflicted, for the discovery of any secret mystery of iniquity, if any was at work in reference to them; and for the more clear discovery of the matter of Thomas Haley, because it had been such a thorn in the flesh of this Church of Christ."--We present these extracts to show that there was something rather peculiar in the state of the Church at this time, and in the view they took of the circ.u.mstances that arose.
As a specimen of the spirit of the times we may state, that there was a pamphlet published by the opposers of Mr. Davis, ent.i.tled, "A plain and just Account of a most horrid and dismal Plague begun at Rowell, alias Rothwell, in Northamptonshire, which hath infected many places round about; or, a faithful Narrative of the execrable and noisome Errors, and abominable and d.a.m.nable Heresies, vented by Richard Davis, pretended pastor to a people at Rowell, and by his emissaries, the shoemakers, joiners, dyers, taylors, weavers, farmers, &c.; together with a brief account 1. Of his and his parties" practices; 2. Visions and revelations; 3. Great boasts; 4. Admission of members into their society; 5. His people"s self-condemnedness; 6. The number and quality of his hearers" admired fits; 7. Some queries to the country people as matter for further search; 8. An expostulation and advice to the people of Rowell. By Mr. P. Rehakosht, &c., inhabiting on the east side of the seat of the Plague. London: printed for the Author, 1692." Whoever this author might be, the spirit of his work reflects far greater discredit on himself than any of its charges do on the pastor and his flock. Mr.
Davis condescended to reply, and near the close of his pamphlet we find the following n.o.ble pa.s.sage:
If there be any errors I maintain, I care not how soon they fall, though I fell with them; nay, if I could be convinced that I erroneously worded any matter, I should soon publicly declare against my own wording. It is not my own honour I seek, but the honour of him that sent me; and I hope I am always ready to bury my own honour in shame, provided I could secure thereby his name from dishonour and contempt. I should think hard of no confession of mine that should give glory to G.o.d. But if it be the truth of Christ I am a.s.saulted for (as thereto I am persuaded it is), then all the attempts against it will be in vain: his truth is like himself--eternal, and will abide steadfast, bright, and insuperable, when I and my opposers are moulded to dust and ashes. In parting, I shall again recommend to them Gamaliel"s prudent advice, viz., to let us alone; for if this council be not of G.o.d, it will fall of itself; but if it be of G.o.d, it shall stand in spite of all their rage and persecution, and they themselves will at last be found fighters against G.o.d.
Mr. Davis had to pa.s.s through a large measure of censure and rebuke from his brethren. Intelligence was conveyed to the London ministers of Mr.
Davis"s very disorderly proceedings in sending out the members of his Church to preach; also, respecting disorders in the a.s.semblies, and some reports of erroneous doctrine, as if he were approaching Antinomianism.
Remonstrances were sent down to him. Mr. Davis stood upon his defence.
He was harshly treated; and being of an ardent temperament, some things would be done and said by him that the prudent would not justify. A public controversy arose. Pamphlets were published on both sides; and neither side, perhaps, could be considered blameless in the matter. That there were some eccentricities in the case of Mr. Davis, and some incautious expressions, every impartial person we suppose would allow; but the spirit of fervent piety, the ardent attachment to the doctrines of divine grace, combined with a deep sense of the obligations to Christian holiness, and some eminent attainments in the divine life, with great labours, and much success, commend Mr. Davis to the grateful remembrance of all the friends of truth and piety.
The following testimony was borne to the sentiments and preaching of Mr.
Davis, by the members of the Church at Rowell:--
We, the members of the Church of Christ over which Mr. R. Davis is pastor, and his constant hearers, having seriously considered the principles laid to his charge, do declare and testify they are utterly false, and that the current of his doctrine has been as he himself has laid it down. And further, the design of his preaching amongst us has been to offer pardoning grace, through the blood of Christ, freely to sinners; to press them to accept thereof on pain of d.a.m.nation; to press us to holiness, from the principle of saving faith; to advance the person and offices of the Lord Jesus--likewise, the person, offices, graces, and gifts of the Spirit; and likewise, to advance electing grace reigning through the righteousness of Christ Jesus. We also attest, that all those evil practices laid to his charge, and especially the ridiculous falsehoods about admissions, are abominable untruths;--whereunto we have subscribed our names at the general Church-meeting, it being a solemn day of fasting and prayer.
(Signed by 40 brethren, members of the Church.)
The authors of the "History of Dissenters" state: "With all his peculiarities and extravagancies, which were probably increased by the unkind and bitter opposition of his brethren, Richard Davis appears to have been a very pious man, and an extraordinary zealous minister of Christ. From some occasional sermons of his which were published, it is plainly seen that he must have been remarkably popular. There is a simplicity, an animation, and a pungency in them, which, if seconded by a suitable elocution, must have made a powerful impression on the hearts of his hearers. His zeal was of the most ardent kind; and England at that time, perhaps, scarcely could produce a man of more ardent labours in the Redeemer"s cause. Not satisfied with performing the duties of the pastoral office to his flock at Rowell, he added the character of an itinerant too, and extended his journeys 80 miles in every direction around the place of his abode. His converts became members of his Church; and as they lived at a distance, and could only attend on particular occasions, they had religious meetings among themselves for prayer, for conversation, for preaching, as opportunities were afforded. That they might enjoy these in the greatest abundance, he called forth the most intelligent members of the Church into action, and employed them in itinerating within his extensive circle.
"Of these lay preachers, whom Mr. Davis sent out, several afterwards became pastors of Churches, formed from the societies which he had collected in the towns and villages in which he was wont to preach. To the honour of Mr. Davis it may be mentioned, that he had imbibed a principle, the want of which at that time was exceedingly injurious to the cause of religion, and circ.u.mscribed within narrow limits the usefulness of many excellent men--it may be named the principle of propagation. On this principle did Mr. Davis act, and he united in himself the office and character of pastor, itinerant, and primitive bishop, presiding over his humble presbyters who aided him in the labours of his diocese. While we throw a veil of compa.s.sion over his infirmities, it must give pleasure to every friend of religion to witness the fervour of his zeal, and the multiplicity of his labours, to extend the knowledge of Christ as far as his exertions could possibly reach. Let posterity give to his memory the praise which is justly due, and hail Richard Davis as the morning star of propagation."--_History of Dissenters_, vol. i. p. 396.
In the year 1691 deaconesses were chosen to act in this Church. Though this is not a general practice now in the Churches, it is still thought by many learned men that there are references to such appointments in the writings of the apostles. Phebe is considered to have been a deaconess of the Church at Cenchrea; and those whose qualifications the Apostle points out in his letter to Timothy, which our translators understood to be the wives of the deacons, are thought by many to be persons appointed to this office, "deaconesses."
Mr. Davis died in the 56th year of his age. When constant prevailing indisposition made it evident that his end was drawing nigh, the mutual affection expressed between him and the Church of which he was pastor was very remarkable. He would say to them with the greatest tenderness, "I die, but G.o.d will surely visit you;" while he would wrestle in prayer on their behalf, that the great Shepherd would take care of them in the wilderness. And their cries ascended to heaven for his stay amongst them; and floods of tears did they pour out to their heavenly Father on this occasion. But the time was come when he must die. His work was done; he must be called to his rest. Under date of September 10th, 1714, we have the following record:--"Mr. Richard Davis, pastor, after he had faithfully, with hard labour and travail, through many and great difficulties, slanders, reproaches, and persecutions, for about five-and-twenty years, served the Lord in this house, he was taken to rest, and to receive the crown of glory."
About a month previous to this, it was concluded at a Church-meeting to invite Mr. Maurice as an a.s.sistant to Mr. Davis. On the death of Mr.
Davis, Mr. Maurice was invited to the pastoral office, which invitation he accepted, and was solemnly set apart to the office in the presence of messengers from other Churches, with fasting and prayer, on the 6th of January, 1715.
Mr. Maurice was a native of Wales; a member of one of the Churches in the princ.i.p.ality; by them called to the ministry; settled for a time at Olney, in Buckinghamshire, and from thence removed to Rowell. The ministry of Mr. Maurice, in this situation, was continued for nearly 24 years, as he died at Rowell, 1738. He was a laborious and successful preacher of the Gospel; and his pen was employed in expounding and enforcing divine truth, and in ill.u.s.trating the great principles of Congregational Church polity and the social influence of religion. The congregation continued to be large and increasing, so that on May 29th, 1734, it is recorded, "A talk concerning, and some subscriptions towards, enlarging the Meeting House, if the Lord will." And it appears that the present Meeting House was built in the course of the next year; for Mr. Maurice published a sermon from Psalm cxxii. 4, ent.i.tled, "The tribes of the Lord appearing before him; or, families in public worship: a Sermon preached at the Opening of the new Meeting House at Rowell, November 9th, 1735." Near the close of the discourse Mr. Maurice observes,--
With regard to the place, where now for the first time we are met to worship the Lord, if it is possible in any sense for the stone to cry out of the wall, and the beam in the timber to answer it; if stones can speak, as our Lord said they would, if the children of men held their peace--then G.o.d has a voice in this work of his providence, which the man of wisdom will hear.
It calls upon us to bless the Lord for our established liberty of conscience, and for the amazing methods Providence made use of to procure, continue, and confirm it. Our fathers were glad to meet together in woods, deserts, and desolate places, for the worship of G.o.d, as much as they could out of the way of barbarous, cruel, and b.l.o.o.d.y informers; and yet were often hunted out and found by these servants of the powers of darkness, and put in prisons and dungeons for the sake of the truth--their families deprived of the necessaries of life by merciless and terrible fines and seizures: but, blessed be the Lord for the Revolution! and may the glorious and immortal memory of King William be in great esteem by all the Churches of Christ; and among them let us, let our children, and their children"s children bear a part, in high praises to the G.o.d of tender providence at the remembrance of deliverances and enlargements past; and through the same tender mercies conveyed to us, and we hope to be continued to the end of time, may we be helped to make the best use and improvement of our liberty in all religious zeal for the faith and worship of our Redeemer; in sincere evangelical love to each other; and on all occasions in cheerful acknowledgments of duty to that ill.u.s.trious family under whose wings it is preserved to us, by the providence of the Most High.
And we are called to own His grace who giveth the everlasting Gospel, and gathereth poor sinners under the sound of it, making our a.s.semblies so numerous as to stand in need of so large a place; and thankful we should be to the same Almighty hand for giving capacity, and a willing mind, to so many of us to contribute cheerfully to the charge. We hope generations to come will bless G.o.d for this; and as for us, we must say as David did: "What are we, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." The generous a.s.sistance of our friends in London and elsewhere I hope we shall always thankfully acknowledge, and own the bountiful hand of our G.o.d therein; and I can never, without being deeply affected, relate or think of the extraordinary kindness of a religious family, descended from one of the G.o.dly elders first fixed in this Church of Christ.
What things does our G.o.d treasure up in his providence! Nor should we forget to be thankful to the Lord, who, through all the work, though attended with many difficulties and some dangers, mercifully preserved all the persons concerned, so that without bruises or wounds they can view their finished work.
A controversy arose during the ministry of Mr. Maurice on the point, "Whether it was the duty of unconverted sinners who heard the Gospel to believe in Jesus Christ." Mr. Maurice was greatly concerned that such a question should arise, and published a small pamphlet, ent.i.tled, "The Modern Question modestly stated." To this there was a reply published; and then he wrote, "The Modern Question confirmed and proved," viz., that the eternal G.o.d does by his word make it the duty of poor unconverted sinners, who hear the Gospel preached or published, to believe in Jesus Christ." This was not printed until after Mr. Maurice"s death, for it is said to be "by Matthias Maurice, late pastor to a Church at Rowell, in Northamptonshire, 1739." It has an address to the reader by Mr. Bradbury, of London, who says, "The author of this work was a person whose learning, temper, and piety, made him very dear to me. At his desire I have perused and published these papers. He has in his letters a.s.sured me of the great concern this affair gave him, when a question of so much importance to the work of ministers and the duty of mankind came to be a matter of debate. The Church, to whom he was an affectionate pastor, has lain under a reproach which this book, and their desires to have it published, will effectually roll away."
We introduce this work chiefly on account of a statement it contains from the Church. Prefixed to this little volume we find the following, signed by 52 of the brethren of the Church:--
_The testimony of the Church of Christ at Rowell, against the pernicious new opinion, at their Meeting, August 31st, 1737._
Whereas of late it has been stated, embraced, and maintained by some, that G.o.d does nowhere in the Scripture make it _the duty_ of poor unconverted sinners, who hear the Gospel preached, to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, we, the Church of Christ at Rowell, being greatly concerned that G.o.d"s revealed will should be so daringly opposed, and earnestly desirous that we, and our children, and all that name the name of Christ, may for ever be delivered from such a pernicious dangerous error, do in the most solemn manner, in the presence of the great G.o.d and our Saviour, testify our abhorrence thereof, and declare, that in the strength of Christ we will contend earnestly for the doctrine of faith once delivered to the saints, of which doctrine we look upon this to be a very valuable part--that G.o.d does in his word make it _the duty_ of poor unconverted sinners who hear the Gospel preached, to be truly concerned for their souls and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
The denial of this we look upon to be a denial of the law of G.o.d, not to be borne with in an orderly Church, and attended with dangerous consequences against the Gospel and all the life and power of evangelical, practical religion. Wherefore, what G.o.d delivered to our fathers, and what our fathers in his fear delivered down to us, we think ourselves bound in conscience to deliver to our children; namely, that G.o.d does command unconverted sinners to repent and believe in his Son for everlasting salvation; and may our children deliver this with greater zeal, and with most desirable success, to following generations. Amen.
Mr. Maurice published a volume ent.i.tled, "Faith Encouraged"; "Faith working by Love--Four Sermons on 1 John iii. 23;" "Monuments of Mercy; or, Some of the distinguishing Favours of Christ to his Congregational Church at Rowell;" also, a sermon on "The help of the Holy Spirit in prayer." But his most interesting and useful work we consider to be, "Social Religion Exemplified, in several Dialogues, giving an account of the first Settlement of Christianity in the city of Caerludd, and of the administration of the ordinances and discipline of the Gospel in the Church there planted: with the remarkable success with which Christ blessed his own inst.i.tutions to the recovering of its backsliding members, the satisfaction of those who were under spiritual distresses, and the edification and comfort of the whole Society;--in which many cases of conscience are judiciously answered." This is a copy of the t.i.tle-page of the first edition, 1740. It appears that this work came out in separate parts, and that the whole was not published until some time after the death of Mr. Maurice.
There were 134 members of the Church when Mr. Maurice died.
The next pastor was Mr. Jonathan Sanderson. Application was first made to Mr. Wheeler, of Axminster, in Devonshire, who came and preached to them four Sabbaths, but entirely declined all thoughts of settling with them. After this, Mr. Job Orton was invited; but he declined accepting the invitation. Then application was made to Mr. Sanderson, who promised to come and a.s.sist them for three or four Sabbaths, when he had finished his studies with Mr. Eames. After a trial he was invited to become their pastor; when he thought the call of G.o.d so clear and plain, that he could not refuse complying with it, though considerable offers, more to his temporal advantage, were made to him. In May, 1741, he was set apart to the office. He gives the following account of the solemnity:--
On this day, the Church renewed their call to me to take upon me the pastoral charge of them under the great Shepherd. Upon that, after having given the Church a particular account of my faith, publicly declared my acceptation of their call to the pastoral office, I gave up myself in a solemn manner to the great work they had called me to. Ebenezer.