Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

248 SPRINGFIELD, 1 636-1 SS 6.
heads of those we know, viz: The Kev'' Ministers the Rev' Wm Cooper, Wm
Welstead and Sam' Mather all of Boston in the County of Suffolk, Clerks, and
Wm Cooke of Sudbury in the County of Suft"olk, Clerk, Now we say that the
said Number of men have set up and do assert the Power of an Ecclesiastical
Council in this Town. And Avliereas Mr. Kob' Breck has had a Call to the Pas-
toral office of the Church here, tho as we apprehend not according to Law, and
we have Exhibited agt the said Breck Sundry articles of Charge for that in Gen-
eral he has broched and vented many articles of Faith wholly suliversive of the
most Holy Faith of our Christian Religion, as well as been guilty of moral
Immoralities, Now the said number of men having asserted the Power aforesaid
do also assert their Power to hear Judge and act upon the said articles, although
we say they have no Juridicial Power tlierein for these Reasons namely for that
this Church never at all applied to those churches from whom they Respectively
Pretend to be Delegated, Neither seeondlv can their be any Pretence that those
Churches were applied to send in their advice and Council in those articles, but
in fact so it is that the sd Mr. Breck has apply "d Personally to them at his own
election while this Church did not know that those Churches were apply 'd to. So
that in fact they are here as they say Avith a Proper Juridical Power in the Prem-
ises and do pretend to assert maintain and exercise the same. Now we say as
much as they were applied to in no other manner but as above being Chosen
Judges by Mr. Breck himself while we are Deny'd the Liberty of Choosing
others to Joyn them therein, is an Invasion of our Natural Rights as men, and it
is a Method of Judging which neither the Platform of these Churches nor the
Law of this Province or Nation do in the Least Countenance and therefore their
Pretences thereto and Exercise of the same is against the Law and Peace of our
Sovereigne Lord the King his crown and Dignity. Your Complainants therefore
Pray for Justice.
Spkixgkld Oct 8th 1735.
John Wokthington
Ebr Wahuinek
R. Harris
O. CoOLKY
B. Wait
D. Cadwell
John Chapin
H. Ch.^pin
S. Bliss
E. Warner
Jed Bliss
L. Bliss.