As to the sacraments and church administrations, they held that Baptism is a seal of the covenant of grace, and should be dispensed only to visible believers, with their unadult children. -That the Lord's supper should be received as it was at first, in Christ's immediate presence, in the table posture. That no set forms of prayer should be imposed.-That excommunication should be wholly spiritual, a mere rejecting the scandalous from the communion of the church in the holy sacraments, and those other spiritual privileges which are peculiar to the faithful. They were very strict for the observation of the Lord's day; as also of solemn fastings and thanksgivings, as the state of their affairs required; but all other times, not prescribed in Scripture, they utterly relinquished. Finally, they utterly rejected and repudiated the authority of man to invent or impose any religious rites, ceremonies, or observances, upon the churches of Christ.*

Such were the principles and doctrines of John Robinson and his excellent church; for the maintenance of which they were hunted down like wild beasts, and "harried" out of the kingdom; not being allowed even the poor privilege of exiling themselves for Christ's sake, until persecution, and insult, and imprisonment, had been heaped upon them. But that God who seeth not as man seeth, saw the end from the beginning; and was

New Eng. Chronology, Part 11. sect. 1.

wisely ordering these very things so as to accomplish his own glorious purposes. He who hath "his way in the whirlwind and in the storm" was directing the tempest of hierarchal wrath, to his own glory and to the ultimate triumph of the truth. By all these trials, God was purifying this poor church, and rendering it more fit for the Master's use. When he had winnowed his wheat; when he had refined his gold; when he had fitted his people for the work which he had assigned themthen he put it into their hearts to seek a new world, where, in a soil more friendly, and under a sky more propitious, they might plant and cherish the pure, simple, and scriptural principles of Congregational belief.

In order to give the history of Mr. Robinson's labors connectedly, the chronological order of events has been somewhat disregarded; and we shall have, in a subsequent chapter, to retrace our steps, and to consider some of the important events which transpired during the years that he was so busily employed in building up his own church, and in defending his sentiments from the attacks of numerous adversaries.

PENDENT OR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH ORGANIZED BY HIM IN LONDON, A. D. 1616.

THE year 1616 is memorable in the history of Congregationalism. In that year the principles of the Leyden church were transplanted to London and there embodied in a permanent church organization. The honored instrument in this good work was the Rev. Henry Jacob. He was born in Kent, in the year 1563; entered a commoner, or batler, at St. Mary's Hall, Oxford, in 1579, when sixteen years old; took his first degree, December 16th, 1583, and that of M. A. in 1586. He was made precentor of Corpus Christi College, and afterwards obtained the benefice of Cheriton, in Kent; which he left before 1591, having become "a semi-Separatist." According to Anthony Wood,

*Anthony Wood says, he was "beneficed in his own county, particularly, as I have been informed, at Cheriton; but upon search in that parish register, wherein are the names of all the rectors of that church set down since 1591, H. Jacob's occurs not, as having been, perhaps, rector before that time."- Athenæ Oxonienses, vol. II., columns 8-10. Brook, 11. 330-31. Commonly denominated a semi-Separatist, for not kneeling at the sacrament. - Paget's Heresiography, p. 94.

Mr. Jacob was "a person most excellently well read in theological authors; but withal a most zealous puritan, or as his son used to say, the first Independent in England. His writings against Francis Johnson, and Thomas Bilson, bishop of Winton, speak him learned." In the general characteristics of his mind and heart, Mr. Jacob resembled John Robinson, more than any other one of the leaders of the Separatists. A careful student, cautious in forming his opinions, and very conservative in his views; a mind remarkably well balanced; fair and kindly in his judgment of men and things; a close reasoner; with a clear, direct and convincing style, though possibly a little less genial and popular than Mr. Robinson Mr. Jacob was in all respects worthy to be the associateleader, with John Robinson, in reëstablishing Congregationalism in Christendom.

But though, at the time of our first acquaintance with him, a zealous reformer, and kindly disposed towards the Separatists, Mr. Jacob was yet not ready to embrace all their opinions; and about the year 1593-94, engaged in a private and friendly correspondence with Francis Johnson, the imprisoned pastor of the London Separatist church, with the hope of withdrawing him from rigid Separatism.* This correspondence, we are told, was brought about by " Mr. Jacob having some speech with certain of the Separation concerning their

*Hanbury, 1. 86; Robinson's Works, 111. 444; Brook, 11. 320.

*

peremptory and utter separation from the churches of England; " and being "requested by them briefly to set down in writing his reasons for the defence of the said churches they promising either to yield unto his proofs, or procure an answer unto the same: Mr. Jacob complied with this request, and his defence of the church of England was sent to Mr. Johnson, "being a prisoner in the Clink, Southwark." Johnson replied, and a controversy ensued; which was made public by Jacob, some years after. During the pendency of their discussion, Jacob seems to have retired to Holland; his zeal for reformation, probably, having exposed him to the penalties of the act against the Brownists, 35 Elizabeth, 1593 ‡ But he must have returned to England about 1597-98; for in 1598, he published "A Treatise of the Sufferings and Victory of Christ in the work of our Redemption," etc., in answer to Bishop Bilson's sermons, preached at St. Paul's, London, on the literal descent of Christ into hell." In 1600, he published a defence of this Treatise. §

* Preface to Jacob's Treatise, etc., in Robinson's Works, 111. 444. † Hanbury, 1. 102.

Brook, 11. 330.

§ These sermons were preached by the encouragement of Archbishop Whitgift, at St. Paul's Cross, in Lent, 1597. In them the bishop maintained that hell was a place prepared for the devil and his angels, "beneath, in corde terra; and that Christ descended into it." Sir John Harrington, a contemporary writer, tells us, that Satan, knowing all this to be true, and not wishing to have the minds of people directed to these facts, " raised a sud