Still there were considerations persuading them to forbearance. Some two or three weeks before the meeting of the Court, the letter from Sir Henry Vane, formerly Governor of the Colony, to which reference has already been made, was put into the hands of the Magistrates. In this, they were desired to deal gently with Pynchon, "in a brotherly way, and encourage him in the "improvement of his excellent abilities, for fur"ther service of the Churches." It is possible that, under the influence of this and other appeals, as well as from considerations of expediency, Pynchon was excused from appearing before the Court. This, however, seems scarcely probable. His own course, in promptly leaving the country and returning to England, as well as the tone of the reply to Vane's letter, which followed his departure, and which we shall soon consider, would tend to convince us that Pynchon purchased a present reprieve by the payment of his fine. But, whether he paid it or not, he evidently did not put much faith in the clemency of the Court. Without awaiting the proceedings of its Autumn Session, he made preparations to leave the country. The commandment of the Lord, we are told, is pure, enlightening the eyes; but the commandments of the Massachusetts Magistrates did not have this effect on Pynchon. Reinforced by the arguments of Norton, they still left him an incorrigible offender against the ecclesiastical, as well as civil, standards of orthodox belief in the Colony. He did not feel that it was safe or advisable to remain longer within reach of the summons of the General Court. In September, 1652, a month before the next meeting of the Court, he was on the ocean, bound for England, accompanied by his son-in-law, Smith, and his Pastor, Moxon. The reply to Vane's letter, in his behalf, followed him to the Old World. It was drawn up by Endicott and his Council, who speak of Pynchon's doctrine as dangerous and pernicious. We "are much grieved," they say, "that such an "erroneous pamphlet was penned by any New "England man, especially a Magistrate among us." "We used all lawful Christian means, with as "much tenderness, respect, and love, as he could "expect, which, we think, he himself will acknowledge. He was then thereby so convinc"ed, that he seemed to yield for substance the case in controversy, signed with his own hand. "But in the interim (as it is reported) he receiv"ed letters from England, which encouraged "him in his errors,* to the great grief of us all. "We leave the author, together with the fauters "and maintainers of such opinions,, to the great 'Judge of all the earth. Touching that which 'your honoured self doth advise us unto, viz., "not to censure any persons for matters of a re"ligious nature or concernment, we desire to "follow any good advice or counsel from you, "or any of the people of God, according to the "rule of God's Word. Yet we conceive, with 64 submission still to better light, that we have "not acted in Mr. Pynchon's case, either for "substance or circumstance, as far as we can dis"cern, otherwise than according to rule, as we "believe in Conscience to God's command we "were bound to do." 6. The zeal of the General Court, in behalf of sound doctrine, did not rest here. In 1653, they enacted that every person that shall publish "and maintain any heterodox and erroneous "doctrine, shall be liable to be questioned and "censured by the County Court where he liveth, "according to the merit of his offence." In the following year, they ordered that "no man, al"though a Freeman, shall be accepted as a Dep"u'y of the General Court, that is unsound in 'judgment concerning the main points of Chris"tian religion, as they have been held forth and "acknowledged by the generality of the Prot"estant orthodox writers." A fine of five pounds was to be imposed upon any Freeman who should knowingly make choice of such a Deputy. The dangerous increase of errors and heresies became a frequent topic in Fast-day Proclamations; and it was to lift up a standard, against these, that John Norton, with the encouragement of the authorities, prepared his elaborate work, containing the system of Christian Doctrines, known as The Orthodox Evangelist. It was completed shortly after Pynchon embarked for England; althou h it was not published till a year or two later. Not a Minister in the four Colonies, they said, approved it; but all judged it heretical. After referring to their having obtained of Norton to answer the work, they say of Pynchon that he might have kept his judgment to him"self, as it seems he did above thirty years, "most of which time he hath lived amongst us with honour, much respect, and love." But when he published and spread "his erroneous "books amongst us, to the endangering of the "faith of such as might read them (as the like "effects have followed the reading of other er"roneous books brought over into these parts) held it our duty, and believe we were call-self; and he was one of the "fauters" of Pynchon's opin"ed of God to proceed against him accordingly.ions, who was to be left to the great Judge. 66 we Safe in his English home, at Wraisbury, in Buckinghamshire, Pynchon indulged his theological tastes by new publications. Shortly after his return, his Jews' Synagogue was issued from the London press; and, in 1655, he published a work on the Sabbath. He had not forgotten, Undoubtedly some of the letters were from Vane him under Cromwell, had become more decidedly tolerant. It was at this juncture, (1658), that Edward Holyoke, of Romney Marsh, near Boston, came forward with a book in which, without mentioning the name of Pynchon, he maintained and vindicated several of the leading positions of the Meritorious Price of Man's Redemption. 66 however, his former antagonist, Norton; and the Order of the General Court of the Bay Colony, (1654) which precluded the hope that he could resume his former position in New England, perhaps contributed to the decisive step which he took, in 1655, in issuing his answer to the leading theologian of the Colony. With nothing further to hope from the clemency of the General His book was a quarto, for the most part closeCourt, and certainly very little to fear, he was no ly printed, of four hundred and twenty-six longer disposed to keep silence. His book, pages. It bore the title, "The Doctrine of Life, therefore, was now issued from the London press, or of Man's Redemtion, by the Seed of Eve, far more formidable in bulk than his earlier "the Seed of Abraham, the Seed of David, etc., pamphlet. It was entitled, The Meritorious as was taught in several Periods of Time, Price of Man's Redemption, or Christ's Satisfac-"from Gen. iii. 15, till Christ came in the Flesh, tion, discussed and explained. It made a sipall "to fulfill all Typicall Prefigurations of him by quarto of four hundred and thirty-nine pages. "his Death. Wherein also Sundry other FunIn this, he refers to the fact that his first publi- "damentall Points are discussed and Cleared cation had been partially answered by Anthony "from some common mistakes. As Daniel's Burgess, in the Second Part of his True Doctrine "Chronology of SEVENTY SEVENS, which is of Justification, as well as by Norton.* But "cleared from the uncertainty which too many his attention is mainly directed toward the latter, "Expositors have unadvisedly cast upon it. And who, as he says, "affirms, most dangerously, that "about the Jew's Calling; that it must not be "Christ made full satisfaction, by suffering Hell- "understood of any return to Canaan, or of "torments before his death was complete, and so "their Restauration to any perspicuous Common "he makes his death and sacrifice to be altogether" wealth any more, but of the Calling of a Rem"vain and needless as to the point of full satis-"nant of them to the Faith, in the Countries "faction." With no little shrewdness does he "where they live dispersed. And with the true manage other points of the controversy, receding "nature of our LORD'S SUFFERINGS: with sunscarce perceptibly, if at all, from what he had dry other such like points, as may be seen in previously advanced. A new edition of his "the TABLE. Propounded by way of Question work is said to have appeared, in 1662. This is "and Answer, with Annotations thereunto andoubtful. His Covenant of Nature made with "nexed. Divided into three Parts. By EdAdam was issued in that year. He dates it "ward Holyoke, of New England. Come and From my study, Wraysbury." "See., John i. 46. London. 1658." 46 • Pynchon's views were subsequently controverted by another English author, by the name of Chewney. In 1656, this man published his Anti-Socinianism, which professes to contain "A brief Explication of some places of Holy Scripture, for the confutation of certain gross Er"rours and Socinian Heresies, lately published by William "Pynchon, Gent., in a Dialogue of his, called The Merito"rious price of our Redemption." An Appendix to this work was entitled Airesiarchai, or, A Cage of Unclean Birds, containing the Authors, Promoters, Propagators and, Chief Disseminators of the damnable Socinian Heresie. The classification of Pynchon with men with whom he Petters contained in the Winthrop Correspondence, that he would have resented such a classification; and that, at one There is reason to infer, from what the author says in his Preface, that the larger portion of his work had been prepared before the publication of Pynchon's book. Two-thirds of it, in the form of question and answer, with appended notes, are devoted to the history of the work of Redemption, as set forth in successive revelations in the Scripture. The Covenant of Abraham is vindicated as the Covenant of Grace, against Anabaptist errors; and the claims of the Gospel, as implying still the authority of the moral law, instead of repealing it, are urged against Antinomians. The appearance of controversy, however, is usually avoided; and it is rarely, except where Romish error or a Prelatic hierarchy become topics of discussion, that the author names his artagonists. In some of his remarks, a reader aware of his views and sympathies might discern, under the guise of courteous words, caustic references to (p. 209) "that Churchmen, and, for the most current topics of discussion. "Note," he says, 'part, Bishops, were the beginners of Schisms "and founders of heresies; and then, with open "and full mouth, like dogs, they cried, 'heresie, "heresie, schism, schism, faction, faction, sedi “'tion, sedition, anarchy, anarchy,' of all that": 'ship of life, and of the blessed souls," etc. P. "would not obey their constitutions, etc. So of 332. "old it was. The Leaders of my people have He then proceeds as follows: "And presently "caused them to err. So the Scribes and Phari-after Bullenger calls this article, 'The article of "sees made Constitutions and Canons, etc.; and "the soul's immortality'. 'In this article,' (saith "then all were questioned for heretics that ques."he) we confesse that the souls are immortall, "tioned their traditions. They cannot be truly "and that immediately after death they do passe "called Schismaticks and Hereticks that cleave to "to life, and that he speaks of all the Saints “the Words and Commandments of the Apostles "that have died in the faith of Christ, from the "of our Lord and Saviour, but they that do depart" beginning of the world.' "from the puritie and sincerity of the Apostle's "doctrine." And again, (p. 211,) "All learn"ed in things controverted concerning the Wor"ship of God or any doctrine, should have recourse to the Scriptures of the Prophets and "Apostles, for definitive sentence, not to Fathers "and Councils, nay, not to the best reformed "Churches." "I find that many learned men of our native "Countrey have and do wave (as evil) the trans'lation, He descended into Hell,' and do hold "the two former interpretations to be impertinent "to the true scope of it; and I believe that more and more will do so daily, unlesse such as be "too carelesse in taking the pains of the mind to "search into the true knowledge of the things of "Oye Magistrates," he exclaims, (p. 224) "take"God, for indeed many students care for no "heed how you give credit to the flatteries and "more, but what they have received by Tradi "Diabolical slanders of such (wicked and apos"tion." P. 332. "tate Prelates) creatures, that you stain not your hands with innocent blood." Neither does he-any more than John Robinson-believe that the Churches have attained to the Ultima Thule of Truth. "Some thing," he says, (p. 264), "is still to be reformed, for the be-smoked Ayre "is not fully cleared amongst the best reformed, "in some points." With reference to the representation of Lazarus as blessed in "Abraham's bosom," Holyoke says: "And long before this, God said of Abra"ham, I know him that he will command his "sons and his house after him, that they shall "keep the way of the Lord,' that is, the true re"ligion, faith, and obedience, prescribed for men to walk in, as in Genesis xviii, 19, comBut the chief interest of the volume centres in "pared with Acts xviii, 25, 26, Deut. viii, the fact of its substantial endorsement of some "6, and x, 11, and therefore all the faithfull of Pynchon's obnoxious opinions. This portion "of his house might at their death expect to be of the book extends to over thirty pages, very "made partakers with him of the heavenly City, closely printed. Holyoke, without mentioning" which God had prepared for them, and there Pynchon's name, thus introduces his discussion: "Beloved Reader, there hath been, in some "places, not a little stir about the sufferings of our Lord, which doubtlesse were marvellous "great, even greater than can well be expressed: "But yet unlesse a man will say, as some say, "that he sufferd the very essentiall Torments of Hell, they will account such little better than "Heretiques." Page 288. "fore when they died, they might still be said "to be in Abraham's Bosome; for all the faith"full, whether they continue alive in this world, "or depart this life in the faith of Abraham, "are called Abraham's children, and therefore "when they die their spirits go to Paradise, to "Abraham's Bosome. In like sort, the faithfull "being yet abiding here in this valley of tears are said to sit in heavenly places, and to eat and "drink with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the "kingdome of God, Mat. viii, and in this respect "all the godly, whether living or dying, are call"ed Abraham's children, cherished as it were in "his Bosome, family, and Church, both militant "and triumphant." P. 335, 336. As he proceeds in his discussion of the meaning of Hades, he cites the authority of the celebrated and learned Puritan, Hugh Broughton, as well as that of Bullenger. From a translation of the writings of the latter, Holyoke quotes the following: "By (Hades) Hell, we understand "not the place of punishment appointed for the Having cleared his way, by giving what he re"Wicked, but (the place) of the faithfull that gards as the proper meaning of the words con"are departed, even as also by the higher parts, cerning Christ's descent "to Hell" (Hades,) Holwe understand them that are yet remaining yoke proceeds to discuss more particularly the "alive: wherefore the soul of Christ descended sufferings of Christ, and to show that they could "into hell, that is to say, it was carried into not have been the penal sufferings of the lost, or "Abraham's bosome, wherein all the faithfull the inflictions of the Divine wrath. But first he "already departed were gathered together; has to deal with the prestige of orthodox Church"therefore when he said to the thief that was es. On this point he says: "Beloved Reader, "crucified with him, 'This day shalt thou be with "we are yet further pressed, and orthodox "me in Paradise,' he promised him the fellow-"Churches are called up as Troopers against us **us. "(about the true nature of Christ's sufferings); we acknowledge that the very remembrance of "them is reverend, and doth joy us, not annoy I know we shall not fight but treat: for "they may perceive that we have orthodox "Churches with us, and as learned Leaders though "perhaps not so many. That is not much ma"teriall, for the book of God must lie between "them and us, and they may and we must search "the holy pages, so that by them we both may "be composed. 66 666 666 "made his heart fail him, and that his soul left "the body in that agonie. Thus if any shall 'say, then one may infer, that he felt not the "love of God his Father, before." Pp. 338, 339. Subsequently, he adds: "Again, if some shall "say, the wrath of God (as some understand "wrath) killed Christ. We should be well ad"vised what passeth the doore of our lips; for "Christ, our holy Mediatour, said, 'I have power “to lay down my life, and have power to take it 'again.' This commission or commandment, "But now of latter times some learned, seeing "have I received from my Father,' also he said, "the native meaning of the Greek in the Article, "As the Father knoweth me, so know I the Fath"will neither justifie the translation nor the ex- "er, and lay down my life for the sheep-there"position that is made upon it, and yet still 'fore doth my Father love me, because I lay "they do labour to make the matter good about "down my life, that I may take it again. Joh. "hell-torments, and therefore they have endeav-15. As the Father hath loved me, so have I "oured by the Scriptures to fortifie that opinion, "loved you, continue ye in my love. If ye keep "which how orthodoxly they have done, it is my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, hoped men may have leave to examine, which even as I have kept my Father's commandments, "if it be denied, then we shall transfer the in- "and abide in his love.' John 16. 'Ye shall be "fallibility of the Pontifician chair (justly de- "scattered every man to his own, and shall leave "cried) to them whom we know will not arrogate me alone, and yet I am not alone, because the "any such thing. "Father is with me.' These Scriptures, and oth"ers, are prevalent to make one think and be"lieve that he was not under the wrath and curse "of God, in any respect or consideration (as some "understand wrath) not for one minute of an 'hour, for surely the Son of God, our Lord "Jesus Christ, was a most willing Mediatour and "Redeemer for us to God our Father, he gave "himself a voluntary and free will offering to "our heavenly Father for us, and therefore no “force did separate his soul from his body, but "he did that act by his own power, as the form"ality of his sacrifice. "Are Orthodox Churches so infallible in all "things, may not godly learned men utter un"sound Doctrines, and much miscarry matters of "sound judgment and application? It is possi"ble they may. 666 * * "And we hope our learned will say, as Elihu, "'What shall we say to him, for we cannot order 'our speech by reason of our darkness,' Job "Xxxvii. and they will acknowledge they know in "part, and prophesie in part, and we hope they "will not be angry, if we judge of what they say, "the Apostle would not be angry, but said, "Judge ye what I say?' 1 Cor. 10. and we hope they will not deny, but that they may know (we will not say be instructed in) the way of "Christ more perfectly. 66 666 666 66 nor Christ in the flesh, nor his Apostles from "him, but what he taught to Moses and the "Prophets. So we should all speak from his "holy Scriptures, sound doctrines, wholesome "Doctrines, plain and pregnant speech, sound "and uncondemnable." Pp. 340, 341. "Many ministers have some expressions about "our Lord's sufferings, which many godly, and "learned Divines have testified are not warrant"able, for what are we, dust and ashes, to speak May not godly Ministers now speak things "of God, and our Redeemer, and Mediatour, "not fitting about the sufferings of our Lord "words not comely, but we all should consider "and Saviour, as if any shall say, that he suf-"that as Moses spake nothing of his own mind, "fered the second death, else we should have "suffered it if any shall say, he suffered Hell "torments for the same reason. If any shall say, "that the Son of God was not Christ for a time, "when he underwent the wrath of God. Also "if any shall say, that in his agonie in the gar"den, or upon the Crosse, he did enter the lists "to fight the great combate hand to hand with "his angry Father, &c. &c. Are these speeches, "if any shall so say, the dialect of the holy Spirit, in his holy Scriptures, which he hath conveyed unto us, by his infinite, good, and gracious Providence? 46 Again, if some good men shall have these 'passages, that it was not the violence of his "crucifying that cut off his life, but the wrath and curse of God swallowed up his spirit, and Of Orthodox Churches and standards of Orthodox belief, he speaks in a tone more free than might have been anticipated: "Againe, if Ortho"dox Churches (yea the most Orthodox) are so "infallible that our faith must be resolved in "part into their commentaries, expositions, &c., "how cometh it to passe that some do differ in "Church discipline from so many reformed "Churches, both from Geneva, Zurich, Scotland, "Low Countries, &c. that they neither scotize it "with the Scot, nor Genevate it with the zealous "ing perverse things to draw Disciples after them. "Act. XX. 64 "Towne of Geneva, they fall, it may be, under "reproof, in not agreeing with, but discording "the judgement and practise of the best and re- Some have not traversed these pathes as they "formed and Orthodox Churches in discipline. "should, because they have been so long institut"The Pontificians said that our fore Fathers"ed and catechised in the doctrine of Hell-Tor"had the word of God from them, and there-ments, and that Christ the Holy One of God "fore they did by Egyptian bondage tye our "Ancestors to their Doctrines and Councils, and "at last to the Pontifician chaire, and caused all "Christs Witnesses to mourne in Sack cloath that "would not obey their constitutions. But the "Lord our God hath delivered us from that "house of cruell bondage of mysticall Egypt. "And Christ saith his magistrates must not bring "his people back againe to Egypt. Deut. xvii. "P. 342. was a sinner, yea, the vilest of sinners, and "when they are by modest arguing put out of "their beaten track, they run wild and utter "sesquipedalia verba on their brethren, that "have and do desire that they and their children "should walk with God in soundnesse of judg"ment, and in a godly and sober conversation.” P. 349. Evidently familiar with the most noted Puritan authors, Holyoke refers to Perkins, in this Beloved Reader, do not conceive that we connection: Master Perkins was cautelous of "disesteem and reject Orthodox Churches, or 'going too far in the point of Christ's sufferings, "the writings of their godly Divines, no such "and yet it seems he would have the Lord to "matter: But we highly prize them, as most gra- "suffer a part of the second death, and he makes "cious mercies of Christ Jesus our Lord, and as "that part to be in this World, and the other they by whom the Temple of God in the part in the World to come (and that he suffered "Heaven of the Church hath been opened, and "the first and second death together, or rather "the Ark of his Testimony manifested. We some part of the second death before the first) "may and ought to have them in godly and re- "is this good Divinity? is this Doctrine, Ortho"spectfull remembrance for their work's sake, "dox? etc." "both of them that are departed, and of those, "that are yet living, though we make them not "lords of our faith." P. 343, Returning to his main topic, Holyoke remarks: "I will yet speake a little more of that speach "which some affirme of Christ that he did com"bate with his Angry Father; shall the Son of God, saith that treatise, suffer the second death "for you? Shall he unchrist himself for a time "for you? Shall he suffer Hell Torments for "you? Shall the Son of God enter the lists to fight the great combate hand to hand with his angry Father for you? God the Father to fight with God the Son: Is this his good Or"thodox Theologie to be sould or taught in Pul"pits, or in Books to the people of God : doubt"lesse there is a deep silence of such expressions "in the Book of God. And from this time for"wards, I hope our godly Teachers, will have "the same deep silence, and make no stir, and "utter plaine Doctrines and then our inventions "will vanish." P. 343. "It is affirmed by some that Christ bore our de"served curse for our Redemption: but bring "this generall, position to particulars, and then "they make a stand, at first of the spiritual "death in sin, secondly touching the corruption "of the body after death, and some are affraid to "say that he suffered any part of the second "death. "It is not man's invention of Tantumdem & "Equivalency (as its urged by some) touching the "sufferings of Jesus Christ that will reach & "fathom these things.' P. 350. 66 66 It is thus that Holyoke concludes this portion of his treatise, in which he reviews the ground passed over by Pynchon : "But the way of "Christ's suffering for our Redemption, that I ap"prove and follow is this, namely, that he suffer"ed as a combater, from his malignant combater Satan, according to God's declaration of the "combate of enmity, between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent, for God "proclaimed a liberty to the Serpent's seed to 'peirce him in the foot-soules as a sinfull Male"factor. on the Crosse: and therefore hence it "followes that all Christ's outward sufferings "must be inflicted on him, from the enmity of "his proclaimed enemy Satan. And secondly, "hence it follows that his internal sufferings were from the sense of his outward. Christ as he was true man, must be tenderly touched, and deeply affected with his evil usage, and "therefore it was God's will and Christ's owne "covenant, that all his internall humane passions "of Feare, Sorrow, and sadnesse in his vitall It is thus that he combines critical remarks on orthodoxy with his main argument: "The "primitive Churches were admonished to take "heed of running after Fables, and reformed "Churches have as much need to look about "them; men, yea Schollers, yea, Ecclesiasticks 66 are as subject now to fables and heresies as "ever; it hath been observed that Ecclesiastics "have ever been the founders of fables, errors, "and heresies: The Apostle gave warning of "this to the Bishops of the Churches, and tells "them that of themselves men should arise speak 46 |